External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who is currently in Saudi Arabia for a key Gulf summit, is set to expand his diplomatic efforts with upcoming visits to Germany and Switzerland this week.
Jaishankar will arrive in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, September 10, for a two-day official visit, marking his third trip to Berlin since assuming his role as India’s Minister of External Affairs. During his visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to meet German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, as well as other senior leaders and ministers from the German government. The primary objective of these meetings is to review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between India and Germany, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
“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 emphasised in its statement.
Jaishankar’s visit to Germany comes while he is currently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, attending the inaugural India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. This trip is aligned with India’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its relations with the West Asian region, often referred to as the Middle East. During his Riyadh visit, Jaishankar is expected to hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers from GCC member countries, which include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.
The Gulf Cooperation Council is a political and economic union comprising these six Gulf countries. India enjoys a deep and multifaceted relationship with the GCC in various areas, including political cooperation, trade and investment, energy cooperation, as well as cultural and people-to-people ties. The GCC region has also emerged as a major trading partner for India and is home to a large Indian expatriate community, numbering approximately 8.9 million, the MEA noted. The India-GCC Foreign Ministers meeting is anticipated to be an opportunity to review and deepen institutional cooperation across various sectors.
Following his engagements in Germany, Jaishankar will travel to Geneva, Switzerland, from September 12 to 13. In Geneva, he will meet the Swiss Foreign Minister to review the close partnership between the two countries and explore opportunities to further enhance bilateral relations, as per the MEA.
Geneva serves as a global hub for several key international organisations and UN agencies, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). During his visit, Jaishankar will meet with the heads and representatives of these international organisations, where India is actively engaged, furthering its global diplomatic outreach.
