India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, engaged in a series of crucial diplomatic talks on Monday in Kuala Lumpur. His agenda included separate meetings with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Haji Hasan, where discussions revolved around reinforcing bilateral relations and navigating complex regional challenges.
These pivotal discussions unfolded on the sidelines of the highly anticipated annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a significant gathering that brought Minister Jaishankar to the Malaysian capital.
During his interaction with New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon, Minister Jaishankar conveyed the ‘warm greetings’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He later expressed his appreciation on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, ‘Welcome his [Luxon’s] commitment to advance our bilateral cooperation and nurture a free and open Indo-Pacific.’
Minister Jaishankar characterized his meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Mr. Hasan, as ‘warm.’ He further elaborated on X that the two foreign ministers delved into ‘the progress in our bilateral cooperation’ and candidly exchanged views on the ongoing situation in Myanmar.
Additionally, Minister Jaishankar extended his best wishes to Mr. Hasan for the ‘successful ASEAN and East Asia Summits.’ These meetings followed his Sunday engagement with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, where he ‘valued his thoughts on strengthening our bilateral cooperation and people-to-people linkages,’ as shared in another social media post.
Malaysia is currently presiding over and hosting the annual ASEAN Summit and its associated meetings in Kuala Lumpur. The 11-nation ASEAN bloc holds considerable regional influence, counting India, along with global powers like the U.S., China, Japan, and Australia, among its key dialogue partners.