EAM Jaishankar holds wide ranging discussions with Swedish counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held wide ranging discussions with his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom here and exchanged views on Indo-Pacific, European strategic situation and de-risking the global economy. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Sweden to participate in the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF). “Wide ranging discussions with FM @TobiasBillstrom as India and Sweden mark 75 years of diplomatic ties. Committed to taking bilateral cooperation to a higher level. Exchanged views on Indo-Pacific, European strategic situation and de-risking the global economy, he tweeted. Jaishankar’s visit to Sweden is his first as the external affairs minister. The trip comes at a time when India and Sweden are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Jaishankar also met Sweden’s Defence Minister Pal Jonson and the two leaders had “useful exchange of views on regional and global security.” He will also participate in the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum (India, Europe and US) with his Swedish counterpart. Jaishankar, who arrived in Sweden from Bangladesh where he addressed the 6th Indian Ocean Conference on Friday, also addressed the European Union-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum here. On the sidelines of the summit on Saturday, he held bilateral discussions with his European counterparts, including French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Belgium’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov, Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, among others. In the last phase of his three-nation trip, the external affairs minister will visit Belgium on May 15 and 16. In Brussels, Jaishankar will attend the first ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) along with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Railways and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.