Khalilur Rahman meets India's Jaishankar on sidelines of ASEAN forum

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman held a brief meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday (July 23) on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Philippines.

According to Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two ministers exchanged greetings during the regional gathering. Jaishankar also met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath at the same venue.

The meeting came a day after Khalilur Rahman held a series of bilateral talks with the foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, China and Pakistan, underscoring Bangladesh's intensified diplomatic engagement at the regional forum.

Among those he met were US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During the discussions, Khalilur reiterated that "Bangladesh First" would remain the guiding principle of the country's foreign policy.

Diplomatic sources said the bilateral meetings focused on expanding economic cooperation, trade, investment and addressing issues of mutual regional and global interest.

Khalilur Rahman is leading the Bangladesh delegation at the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. He arrived in Manila after official engagements in New York and is scheduled to remain there from July 22 to 24.