Foreign Secretary Shringla to visit France, Germany & UK to review bilateral relations

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is scheduled to visit France, Germany and the United Kingdom from October 29 to November 4, said Ministry of External Affairs. During the visit, the diplomat would review bilateral relations and discuss matters of mutual interest and share Indian perspectives with his counterparts and with other key interlocutors.

The ministry said in a statement that Shringla’s visit to these countries is part of India’s continuing international engagement and diplomatic outreach in spite of the limitations posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The foreign secretary will interact with businesspersons, academics, intellectuals and media persons while visiting the three countries. 

MEA announced that the foreign secretary will discuss international cooperation in dealing with the ongoing pandemic and its consequences. It highlighted that France, Germany and the UK are strategic partners of India and are nations with which India has close and well-established relations. 

“India's relations with France, Germany and UK are built on a foundation of shared democratic values and are informed by a commonality of interest in issues such as sustainable development and climate change,” the statement read.

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Stint at UNSC

The ministry added that important plurilateral issues like forthcoming non-permanent tenure in the United Nations Security Council, and its commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific will be discussed. It stated that India has very substantial trade and commercial ties and large investment flows with these countries. 

India is set to join the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning in January 2021 and it is believed that the G4 countries ((India, Brazil, Germany and Japan) will intensify their efforts for major reforms in the council. The G4 nations support each other's bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. France has also strongly backed India and other G4 countries’ demand for a permanent seat and tangible reforms at the UNSC.

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