External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has left for France to attend the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) which will focus on the war in West Asia, especially on coordinating international efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for meeting global energy needs.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said Jaishankar will visit Abbaye des-Vaux-de-Cernay (France) on 26-27 March to participate in the G7 meeting with partner countries, at the invitation of French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts on the sidelines of the G7 meeting.
The G7 brings together the seven most industrialised nations: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Japan and Italy. The foreign ministers of the seven countries will discuss the global challenges, particularly the war in West Asia and in Ukraine.
Apart from Jaishankar, the G7 meeting is expected to be attended by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Brazil, South Korea, and Ukraine.
Sources said there will be a session dedicated to the crisis in West Asia at the G7 meeting. The ministers will deliberate on exploring different negotiation channels that could lead to de-escalation in the region and reopen maritime routes, the official said.
They will also discuss how to “tackle the nuclear and ballistic programme of Iran,” it is learnt.