Jaishankar meets Sweden's Defence, Foreign Ministers during his Stockholm trip
May 14, 2023
Stockholm [Sweden], May 14 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Sweden's Defence Minister Pal Jonson and Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom during his three-day visit to Sweden.
Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, "Good to meet Defence Minister Pal Jonson of Sweden. Useful exchange of views on regional and global security."
After meeting his Swedish counterpart, Jaishankar said that both countries are committed to taking bilateral cooperation to a higher level. Both nations had exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific, the European strategic situation and de-risking the global economy.
"Wide-ranging discussions with FM @TobiasBillstrom as India and Sweden mark 75 years of diplomatic ties," Jaishankar said in another tweet.
Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Sweden to participate in the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial. He is also expected to attend the inaugural session of the India Trilateral Forum involving India, Europe, and the US, with his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom. In addition, Jaishankar will discuss India-EU relations during his visit as Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
At the EU-India Pacific Ministerial Forum, Jaishankar laid stress on the multipolar world.
"The Indo-Pacific is a complex and differentiated landscape that is best understood through more intensive engagement. A generous and strategic approach that caters to economic asymmetries will surely enhance the EU's appeal. The more European Union and Indo-Pacific deal with each other, the stronger will be their respective appreciation of multi-polarity. And remember, a multipolar world, which the EU prefers, is feasible only by a multipolar Asia," said Jaishankar.
He said that the EU has major stakes in Indo-Pacific developments, especially concerning technology, connectivity, trade and finance. Jaishankar dealt with globalisation and established thinking at the forum.
"Globalization is the overwhelming reality of our times. However, far apart, regions and nations cannot be impervious to significant events elsewhere. Nor can we cherry-pick them to our convenience. The European Union has major stakes in Indo-Pacific developments, especially as they pertain to technology, connectivity, trade and finance. It has to, in respect for, and observance of UNCLOS. Agnosticism on such matters is therefore no longer an option," he said.
