Muscat [Oman], February 17 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held meetings with his counterparts from Mauritius, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka on the sidelines of Indian Ocean Conference in Oman's capital Muscat on Sunday.

Jaishankar met his Mauritius counterpart Dhananjay Ritish Ramful and underlined commitment to further strengthen 'special bonds of friendship' between two nations. Jaishankar noted that it was his first meeting with Ramful.

In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, 'A warm first meeting with FM @RitishRamful of Mauritius. Underlined our commitment to further our special bonds of friendship.'

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EAM Jaishankar held a meeting with his Maldives counterpart Abdulla Khaleel. During the meeting, the two leaders held talks on the many facets of India-Maldives cooperation.

Sharing details regarding his meeting with his Maldives counterpart on X, Jaishankar stated, 'Pleased to catch up with FM @abkhaleel of Maldives. Exchanged views on the many facets of our cooperation.'

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Jaishankar met his Sri Lankan counterpart Vijitha Herath and discussed wide-ranging cooperation between two nations. He expressed India's commitment to the economic recovery and progress of Sri Lanka.

'A productive interaction with FM @HMVijithaHerath on sidelines of 8th Indian Ocean Conference Took stock of our wide - ranging cooperation. Committed to the economic recovery and progress of Sri Lanka,' Jaishankar posted on X.

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S Jaishankar met his Nepal counterpart Arzu Rana Deuba on the sidelines of Indian Ocean Conference. During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation and looked forward to strengthening ties.

Mentioning details regarding his meeting with his Nepal counterpart on X, Jaishankar wrote, 'Glad to meet with FM @Arzuranadeuba of Nepal today. Had a useful review of our bilateral cooperation. Look forward to strengthening our ties.'

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Jaishankar held a meeting with his Bhutan counterpart DN Dhungyel, with the discussion focused on advancing bilateral and regional cooperation.

In a post shared on X, External Affairs Minister wrote, 'A pleasure talking with @FMBhutan D. N. Dhungyel in Muscat today. Our discussion focused on advancing our bilateral and regional cooperation. Underlined the dynamism of our unique and time - tested partnership.'

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During his visit to Oman, Jaishankar also met his counterparts from from Oman, Brunei and Iran on the sidelines of Indian Ocean Conference. He also held a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain.

He also gave a keynote address at the Indian Ocean Conference where he stressed the importance of adhering to agreements in ensuring stability. He was elaborating on the maritime consequences of the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

The 8th Indian Ocean Conference is being organised by India Foundation in association with Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Muscat on February 16-17, 2025. The theme for this year of the Conference is Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership.

The Indian Ocean Conference was started by India Foundation in 2016 at Singapore, with participation from 30 countries, according to the official statement. In the past 8 years, the Conference has emerged as the flagship consultative forum for countries in the region over regional affairs. (ANI)