New Delhi, Jan 18
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held in Kampala, Uganda. During his five-day visit to the African continent, the minister will visit Uganda and then will visit Nigeria.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the minister will be in Kampala, the capital of Uganda from Jan 19-20 and will then travel to Nigeria from Jan 21-23, 2024.
His agenda in Kampala includes attending the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit and this will be preceded by deliberations at the Ministerial and Senior Officials levels.
Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh is already representing India at the NAM Foreign Ministers’ meeting and this will precede the NAM Summit.
Meanwhile, MoS V Muraleedharan will represent India at the G-77 Third South Summit. This summit too is taking place in Kampala on January 21-22.
“The 19th NAM Summit under the leadership of Uganda is being held under the theme ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence’ and brings together more than 120 developing countries on a platform of crucial historic significance,” the official statement issued by MEA stated.
Adding that India supports Uganda’s theme for NAM and looks forward to engaging with NAM under Uganda’s leadership. “As one of the leading and founding members of NAM, India remains committed to the principles and values of the movement. On the sidelines of the NAM Summit, EAM is expected to meet with the Ugandan leadership and counterparts from NAM Member states.”
India-Nigeria
The Minister is set to co-chair the 6th India-Nigeria Joint Commission Meeting alongside his counterpart. During the visit, he will inaugurate the 3rd edition of the Nigeria-India Business Council meeting and deliver a speech at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. Interactions with CII Business delegates and the inauguration of Mahatma Gandhi’s bust are also on the agenda.
Jaishankar is scheduled to chair the regional conference of Indian Heads of Missions. The MEA highlights the historically close and friendly ties between India and Nigeria. This marks EAM’s inaugural visit to Nigeria, reinforcing and strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.