EAM Jaishankar to visit Cyprus, Austria from December 29 to January 3

S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit the Republic of Cyprus and Austria from December 29 to January 3, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in the statement, said the minister will be in Republic of Cyprus (RoC) from December 29 to December 31, 2022. This year marks 60 years of the diplomatic relations between India and Cyprus.

During his visit, Jaishankar will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs of RoC, Ioannis Kasoulides and also call on President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou. He will also address the business and investment community of that country, and interact with the Indian diaspora.

In Austria, the external affairs minister (EAM) will meet Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, the statement said.

This will be the first EAM-level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years, and it takes place against the backdrop of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2023.

Schallenberg had visited India in March 2022, and the two ministers have met thrice this year on the margins of international gatherings in Munich, Bratislava and New York, the MEA said.

During his visit, Jaishankar will call on Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and also interact with the Indian diaspora. Separately, he will meet Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In Austria, the EAM will also meet foreign minister of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavský; Foreign Minister of Slovak Republic, Rastislav Ká?er along with Austrian Federal Minister Schallenberg in the Slavkov format. Discussions are expected to focus on regional and global issues, the statement added.