Dr. S. Jaishankar has been India’s external affairs minister since May 30th, 2019. He is a member of India’s Upper House (Rajya Sabha), representing Gujarat state.
He served as Foreign Secretary from 2015 to 2018, as well as Ambassador to the United States (2013–15), China (2009–2013), and the Czech Republic (2000–2004). He was High Commissioner to Singapore from 2007 to 2009.
He has also held diplomatic positions at embassies in Moscow, Colombo, Budapest, and Tokyo, as well as at the Ministry of External Affairs and the President’s Secretariat. He also served as President of Global Corporate Affairs at Tata Sons Private Limited, beginning in May 2018.
Dr. S. Jaishankar attended St. Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi and graduated. He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science as well as an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
He received the Padma Shri award in 2019 and wrote the best-selling book The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World, which was published in 2020.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend the 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, Australia, which begins on Friday under the theme “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean.” The two-day conference will take place on February 9 and 10 in Perth.
The Indian Ocean Conference is an annual consultative meeting for countries in the Indian Ocean Region, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the India Foundation. The conference will be hosted in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of Australia, the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, and the Perth-US Asia Centre in Australia.
“The theme of this edition of the conference is Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean,” according to a statement from the External Affairs Ministry. Furthermore, EAM Jaishankar will speak at the conference’s opening session with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, and Singaporean Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
The conference will bring together delegations led by ministers from more than 22 nations, senior officials from 16 countries, and representatives from six multilateral organisations. “The Conference will also witness the participation of over 400 social and corporate leaders, policy practitioners, scholars, professionals, and media personnel from about 40 countries,” according to the press release.
The first Indian Ocean Conference was held in Singapore in 2016, and it has “played an important role in bringing together countries and principal maritime partners of the region on a common platform to deliberate on the prospects of regional cooperation for security and growth for all in the region (SAGAR).” Jaishankar met with Philip Green, Australian High Commissioner to India, last week to discuss the two countries’ bilateral partnership.
Last year, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that Australia will host the Indian Ocean Conference 2024, which will provide an opportunity to debate practical solutions to the region’s main concerns. The Conference has evolved over the last six years into a consultative forum for regional governments on regional issues. (ANI)