Perth: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Madagascar counterpart Rafaravavitafika Rasata on the sidelines of the 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth on Saturday.

The two leaders, as they met, discussed bilateral relations shared by India and Madagascar.

In a post on social media platform X, Jaishankar wrote, " Nice to meet FM

@rafaravavitafi1 of Madagascar on the sidelines of the 7th Indian Ocean Conference."

"Discussed our bilateral relations that we hope to deepen," he added.

On the sidelines of the 7th Indian Ocean Conference, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart, Senator Penny Wong, held discussions in Perth on Friday on a spectrum of global issues, including the Indo-Pacific and the situation in West Asia.

The meeting commenced with a warm exchange between EAM Jaishankar and FM Wong. Both leaders expressed delight at the opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

The talks primarily centred around the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Australia. Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in various domains, with a particular focus on matters related to the Indian Ocean region.

Jaishankar is currently in Australian city of Perth on a two-day 7th Indian Ocean Conference.

The Conference is a flagship consultative forum for countries in the Indian Ocean Region, organised annually by the Ministry of External Affairs in association with the India Foundation. The conference is held in association with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia, along with the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 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.

This significant gathering, organised annually by the Ministry of External Affairs in association with the India Foundation, marks a collaborative effort with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia, the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, and the Perth-US Asia Centre in Australia.

The 7th Indian Ocean Conference brings together distinguished leaders and delegates to deliberate on crucial regional issues.

Since its inception in 2016 in Singapore, the Indian Ocean Conference has been instrumental in fostering collaboration among nations and principal maritime partners in the region. Through its platform, the Conference endeavours to facilitate discourse on the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

The 7th Indian Ocean Conference stands as a testament to the collective commitment towards enhancing stability and sustainability across the Indian Ocean Region.

This report is auto-generated from a news agency service