Mukherjee holds talks with Russian Foreign Minister

New York, Sept 30 (PTI) External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee and his Russian counterpart Servey Lavrov
held wide-ranging discussions on international issues with
special emphasis on progress made in strategic partnership
between the two countries and the forthcoming annual summit.

Details of Monday's meeting were not available, but
officials said Lavrov will soon visit New Delhi for
discussions on detailed and substantive agenda that will
provide a fresh impetus to bilateral relations.

Mukherjee had a series of bilateral meetings with
his counterparts from several countries now here to attend the
United Nations General Assembly (U.N.G.A.) session.

He also held discussions with Nigerian Foreign
Minister Ojo Maduekwe on ways to expand economic ties and
intensifying cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector beyond the
buyer-seller relationship.

The External Affairs Minister also held parleys with
his Trinidad and Tobago counterparts. He also met with
Salaheddin Al-Bashir of Jordan.

Besides, Mukherjee participated in three Ministerial
meetings - the India-Brazil-South Africa (I.B.S.A.)
initiative, the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (I.G.C.C.), and
of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(S.A.A.R.C.).

The informal meeting of the S.A.A.R.C. Council of
Ministers reviewed the progress in implementation of the
decisions and recommendations of the 14th and 15th S.A.A.R.C.
summits held in New Delhi and Colombo.

Besides Mukherjee, other participants ministers from
Sri Lanka Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. Afghanistan
and Maldives were represented by the senior officials. PTI DS
PMR