External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held several bilateral meetings with international leaders and diplomats during the Raisina Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, reaffirming India’s commitment to strengthening its diplomatic and strategic partnerships across regions.
During the event, Jaishankar met Bhutan’s Foreign Minister Lyonpo DN Dhungyel and reiterated the strong relationship shared between the two neighbouring nations. In a message shared on social media, he expressed his satisfaction at the meeting and highlighted India’s dedication to expanding the special partnership with Bhutan. The two leaders discussed cooperation and reaffirmed their intent to further deepen bilateral engagement across various sectors.
Jaishankar also held talks with Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ritish Ramful. During their interaction, the Indian minister emphasized India’s commitment to advancing the enhanced strategic partnership between the two countries. Both sides discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and maintaining close diplomatic coordination in areas of mutual interest.
The meetings took place on the sidelines of the 11th edition of the Raisina Dialogue, a major international conference that focuses on geopolitics and geo economics. The event is jointly organized by the Observer Research Foundation and India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Each year it brings together global leaders, policymakers, business representatives, scholars and journalists to deliberate on key global challenges and policy priorities.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar also met Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg. Following the discussion, the Indian minister noted that the meeting included valuable exchanges regarding developments in the maritime sector. Maritime cooperation and global shipping routes remain important areas of discussion among countries engaged in international trade and security partnerships.
Jaishankar further interacted with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh. Their meeting occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions in West Asia following the joint military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran on February twenty eight. The attacks were aimed at weakening Iran’s missile capabilities and military facilities, and the developments have increased regional instability.
In addition to these meetings, Jaishankar engaged with several other international officials attending the conference. These included French Minister Delegate for Europe Benjamin Haddad, Germany’s State Secretary for Economic Cooperation and Development Niels Annen, Tanzania’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ng’waru Jumanne Maghembe, GLOBESEC founder Robert Vass and European Council on Foreign Relations director Mark Leonard.
Through these discussions, India reaffirmed its intent to strengthen diplomatic ties and maintain active engagement with global partners on issues related to security, economic cooperation and international stability.
