New York, Sep 27 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with Venezuelan counterpart Felix Plasencia Gonzalez, on the sidelines of 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with discussions ranging from bilateral cooperation and current regional issues.
EAM Jaishankar noted that the energy ties between India and Venezuela are gaining momentum.
Following the meeting, EAM Jaishankar, in a post on X, wrote, “A good meeting with FM Felix Plasencia Gonzalez of Venezuela at UN HQ UNGA81. Our energy ties are gaining momentum, besides other areas of bilateral cooperation. We also discussed current regional issues.”
He met his Mexican counterpart Roberto Velasco Alvarez and Belarus counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York. EAM Jaishankar posted photographs from his meetings with the two ministers.
Earlier, EAM Jaishankar held a meeting with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand in New York and said that both nations are preparing to take their relationship to a “higher level.”
Sharing picture and a short video from his meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister, EAM Jaishankar, in a post on X stated, “Always a pleasure to meet FM Anita Anand of Canada at UNGA81. A productive discussion as we prepare to take the relationship to a higher level.”
EAM Jaishankar said on Saturday (local time) that India would exercise its right to defend itself against terrorism, accusing an unnamed country of misrepresenting facts at the UN General Assembly a day earlier.
“Yesterday, a serial practitioner of terrorism misrepresented facts before this assembly,” Jaishankar told the gathering.
“Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised,” he added without naming the country.
He said arguments had been made to normalise terrorism and claim immunity from its consequences. “That will not stand,” he added.
Jaishankar called state-sponsored terrorism with a cross-border purpose a direct challenge to the global order and said that governments engaged in such practices must be held accountable while calling for need to “counter and exposed” the financiers of terror.
“Friendship and goodwill cannot coexist with terrorism,” he said, adding that the perpetrator must change its ways. He called for continued zero tolerance towards terrorism.
The warning formed one part of a wider speech on peace, development and the pressures facing poorer nations.
Jaishankar said the world was seeing “weaponisation of everything”, from finance and market access to supply chains and technology.
–IANS
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