One of the most prominent faces in the government right now, MEA S Jaishankar, is putting all the effort into making others understand the interests of India. Jaishankar recently came from the USA, and now on October 5th, he will fly to Australia and New Zealand and stay there till October 11th. He had earlier visited Australia in February, this will be his second visit to that country, while to New Zealand this will be his maiden visit.
During his visit to New Zealand, he will meet the External affairs Minister of NZ Nanaia Mahuta, where it is expected that they will discuss the ties to tackle security problems faced by both countries. His next host will be with PM herself, Jacinda Ardern, and jointly they will felicitate people of the Indian Diaspora for exceptional achievements. These two leaders will also release a commemorative postage stamp, “India@75,” to display Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav in New Zealand. Apart from the PM, Jaishankar will meet the first Indian-origin Minister in the NZ government, Priyanka Radhakrishnan (community and diversity minister). He will also interact with the Indian diaspora and Indian students. Apart from meetings, another critical task is to inaugurate the recently built High Commission of India. He will also launch two new books related to Indian PM Narendra Modi, Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery and “Heartfelt-The legacy of Faith.
In the Second phase of his trip, he will be traveling to Canberra and Sydney. He will participate in the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue and meet his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong. Since India joined the Quad with Japan, Australia, and the USA, India has signed several deals with Australia, including Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. He will also meet Deputy PM and Defence minister Richard Marles. Australia also has one of the highest numbers of Indian diaspora/ origin people; hence it is not only a strategically important ally of India but also a cultural ally of India. The final stop on his itinerary before he returns is Sydney. During his last days on tour, he will interact with the Australian navy, media, and think tanks like Lowy institute in Sydney.
S Jaishankar has also transformed India’s foreign policy from adjusting to dominating and interest-driven. His visit to Australia is being regarded as an important one as he is traveling to the country second time in the same year.
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