Perth [Australia], February 10 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with members of the ‘Overseas Friends of BJP’ (OFBJP) in Perth on Saturday during his ongoing visit to Australia. The EAM commended the OFBJP for its efforts in fostering a better understanding and cooperation between India and Australia.
Good to meet members of OFBJP in Perth today. Appreciate their work which promotes better understanding and cooperation between our two countries, Jaishankar expressed in a post on X.
During his visit, Jaishankar also met with Western Australia Premier Roger Cook and acknowledged his role in hosting the 7th Indian Ocean Conference.
Nice to meet Premier @RogerCookMLA of Western Australia. Appreciate his hosting the 7th Indian Ocean Conference. His support for building strong India-Australia ties was manifest, Jaishankar said.
Furthermore, the EAM held discussions with Mauritius Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin, reiterating the hope for deeper cooperation between the two nations.
Great to meet FM @ManeeshGobin of Mauritius today at Perth. Our stocktaking of the relationship was very positive. Look forward to deeper cooperation and more achievements, Jaishankar remarked.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met with Australian Parliamentarians Zaneta Mascarenhas, Varun Ghosh, and Dr. Jagadish Krishnan to explore avenues for strengthening ties with Western Australia.
Delighted to meet Parliamentarians Zaneta Mascarenhas, Varun Ghosh and Dr Jagadish Krishnan of Australia. Appreciated hearing from them how to intensify ties with Western Australia, Jaishankar wrote on X.
Zaneta Felice Antoinetta Mascarenhas is an Australian politician of Indian descent from the Australian Labor Party. Varun Ghosh, an Australian senator representing the Australian Labor Party, became the first Australian senator to take the oath on the Bhagavad Gita. Dr. Jagdish Krishnan is also an Indian-born Australian politician.
Jaishankar’s current visit to Perth is in conjunction with the seventh Indian Ocean Conference, a significant annual forum organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, the India Foundation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian Government, the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, and the Perth-US Asia Centre.
The theme of this year’s conference is Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean, with distinguished leaders and delegates convening to deliberate on pertinent regional issues. (ANI)