EAM S Jaishankar To Visit Germany And Switzerland After Attending Key Gulf Summit In Saudi Arabia—What's On The Agenda

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is currently in Saudi Arabia for a key Gulf summit, is set to visit Germany and Switzerland this week.

Jaishankar will reach Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday (10 September) for a two-day official visit, marking his third trip to Berlin as India's Minister of External Affairs.

During his visit, Jaishankar will meet German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as well as the leadership and other Ministers from the German government with an objective to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations between India and Germany, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"Both India and Germany share a robust Strategic Partnership and Germany is one of India's prominent trading partners and among the largest Foreign Direct Investors," the MEA said.

At present, Jaishankar is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend the inaugural India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

This visit aligns with India’s efforts to strengthen its relations with the West Asia region, often referred to as the Middle East.

During his Riyadh visit, Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers from GCC member countries.

The Gulf Cooperation Council is a political and economic union of six countries in the Gulf region- Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

India and the GCC enjoy a deep and multifaceted relationship, in areas including political, trade and investment, energy cooperation, cultural and people-to-people ties.

The GCC region has emerged as a major trading partner for India and is home to a large Indian expatriate community, numbering around 8.9 million, the MEA said.

The Foreign Ministers meeting will be an opportunity to review and deepen institutional cooperation between India and the GCC across various sectors, it added.

After his Germany visit, Jaishankar will travel to Geneva, Switzerland, from 12 to 13 September, where he will meet the Swiss Foreign Minister to review the close partnership between the two countries and explore avenues to enhance the bilateral relationship further, according to the MEA.

Geneva is home to some of the most important international organisations and UN agencies, including the World Health Organisation, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Labour Organisation.

During the visit, EAM Jaishankar will meet with heads and representatives of international organizations with whom India is actively engaged, the MEA said.

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