19th NAM Summit set to begin in Uganda’s Kampala; EAM Jaishankar to lead Indian delegation

The 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit is set to kick off on Friday in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, with the Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. Preceding the summit, ministerial deliberations are scheduled, and Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, will attend the NAM Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

Dr. Jaishankar, arriving in Kampala on Thursday, engaged in discussions with Angolan Foreign Minister Amb Tete Antonio, focusing on bolstering collaboration between India and Angola, as well as India and Africa. In a post on the social media platform X, Jaishankar said, “Discussed the expanding India-Angola and India-Africa cooperation. Also spoke about cooperation in multilateral fora. Thanked him for extending a visa-free arrangement for Indian nationals.”

Tweet link: https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1748008062428889468

Jaishankar also met with Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer to exchange views on the ongoing high-level talks regarding the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the island country. They also discussed expediting the completion of development projects in the Maldives and strengthening cooperation between SAARC and NAM.

Following the NAM summit, Dr. Jaishankar is scheduled to embark on a three-day official visit to Nigeria starting January 21. During the visit, he will co-chair the 6th India-Nigeria Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) and engage with Nigerian leaders.

Separately, Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, will also travel to Uganda to participate in the G-77 Third South Summit scheduled to take place in Kampala on January 21-22.