Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, April 19: The official release from the Ministry of External Affairs states that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will start his official visit to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic on Friday.
This is his first tour since taking the job.
Jaishankar will co-chair the Joint Commission Meeting with his counterpart Hugh Hilton Todd during his Guyana visit from April 21 to 23, which will involve discussions on a wide range of bilateral issues.
He is also anticipated to address the leadership and speak with a number of ministers.
According to the statement, “EAM’s visit to Guyana would also be an opportunity for a meeting of Foreign Ministers in the India-COFCOR (Council on Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR); a group of 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) format and hold bilateral meetings with participating Ministers.”
On April 24, Jaishankar will visit Panama after wrapping up his trip to Guyana.
EAM will be in Panama for two days and will meet with senior officials; he will be hosted by Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney Mencomo. He will meet with representatives of the eight-nation Central American Integration System (SICA) during the India-SICA Foreign Ministerial Meeting, which will also be held during this visit.
On April 25, Jaishankar will set out for Colombia, where he will meet with a number of important figures from the Government, business and civil society. This will be India’s first visit at the level of the Foreign Minister.
From April 25 to April 27, Jaishankar would be in Colombia and meet with a number of top representatives from the government, business, and civil society. Alvaro Leyva Duran, Colombia’s Foreign Minister, and EAM would assess the relationship on a bilateral basis.
The Dominican Republic, his final stop, will begin on April 27 and mark the highest-level visit from India since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1999.
“EAM’s visit takes place after the establishment of our resident Embassy in Santo Domingo in 2022. Apart from calling on the country’s political leadership, EAM will be holding discussions with Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez. The two leaders would also formally inaugurate the Indian resident mission. EAM is also expected to deliver a talk at the Dominican Republic Foreign Ministry,” the statement read.
At the business activities scheduled during the visit, an Indian business delegation led by CII will be joining EAM. These meetings highlight a growing interest for closer trade links on both sides. Additionally, EAM will meet people from the Indian community in each of the four nations.
“EAM’s visit to these four countries; his bilateral engagements as well as interactions with counterparts of important regional groups: CARICOM and SICA, adds to the momentum of the India-LAC engagements. It will provide an opportunity to continue high-level contact with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and explore new areas of cooperation in a whole host of areas; particularly in the post-pandemic scenario,” according to the statement.
