India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday (local time) highlighted India’s growing global engagement, energy security, disaster response and partnerships with African countries while interacting with members of the Indian community in Côte d’Ivoire.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said he had a "great" interaction with members of the Indian community in Côte d’Ivoire and spoke about the transformations in India under the vision and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said PM Modi’s “vast experience of Public Service through #25YearsofSeva” continues to guide India’s global engagements, including the diversification of energy supplies amid global uncertainty and securing fertiliser supplies through closely nurtured partnerships.

Jaishankar also highlighted India’s focus on ease of living, saying the country’s strides in passport services were an example of efforts aimed at solving citizens’ problems. He said India’s “deep understanding of our systems” has enabled it to bring change, including through rapid responses to natural disasters and the evacuation of nationals in distress.

The External Affairs Minister also highlighted India’s role in building consensus during its BRICS and G20 presidencies, saying this was achieved by building upon “personal relationships and deep rapport”.

“Moving beyond words and taking action on the African Union’s permanent membership in India’s G20 presidency, showcasing a deep understanding of how the world works,” Jaishankar said. He also appreciated the role played by the Indian diaspora as “a living bridge between our societies”.

Earlier, Jaishankar interacted with ITEC alumni from Côte d’Ivoire and said India’s capacity-building initiatives were responding to the demands and priorities of its partner countries while nurturing human connections between the two societies.
He also thanked Koffi N'Guessan, Minister of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education, and a former ITEC alumnus, for joining the interaction.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar met Téné Birahima Ouattara, Vice Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, and discussed the two countries’ growing defence partnership. In a separate post on X, Jaishankar said the partnership was “underpinned by mutual trust, capacity building and shared interests”.
“Exchanged views on opportunities to further our cooperation in defence & anti-terrorism, including through training, capacity building and enhanced institutional exchanges,” he said.

S Jaishankar also held comprehensive discussions with Côte d’Ivoire Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nialé Kaba in Abidjan, focusing on advancing bilateral cooperation across trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and people-to-people ties.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Pleased to meet Nialé Kaba, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Côte d'Ivoire, in Abidjan today. Held comprehensive discussions on advancing our partnership, including in trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and people-to-people ties.

"The External Affairs Minister underlined that India-Côte d’Ivoire cooperation would remain people-centric and would be guided by the priorities of the West African country.
Source: ANI