External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will be on a seven-day visit to Indonesia and Thailand from today. He will visit Jakarta for the Foreign Ministers’ Meetings under the ASEAN framework in the format – ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Forum, scheduled for tomorrow and Friday. He will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries. Ministry of External Affairs said India’s engagement with this ASEAN-centered regional architecture signifies India’s strong commitment to ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific.

Dr. Jaishankar will travel to Bangkok to participate in the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism on the 16th of this month. MGC, one of the oldest mechanisms of lower Mekong region, is guided by India’s Act East Policy. The External Affairs Minister will also attend the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on the 17th of this month. BIMSTEC is an economic and technical initiative that brings together the countries of the Bay of Bengal for multifaceted cooperation. The retreat would discuss ways to further deepen the BIMSTEC agenda and strengthen the organisation.