Jaishankar to meet UN nuclear chief in Vienna

In what would be the first EAM-level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be visiting Austria later this week where he is also scheduled to meet Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Jaishankar will first travel to Cyprus and meet his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides on Thursday.

During the December 29-31 visit, which also marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Cyprus, the EAM will also call on Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives besides addressing the business and investment community of the country, apart from an interaction with the Indian diaspora.

In Austria, Jaishankar will meet the Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg who visited India in March 2022. The two ministers have met thrice this year on the margins of international gatherings (Munich, Bratislava and New York).

During his visit, EAM will also call on the Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, and interact with the Indian diaspora based in Austria.

Jaishankar will also meet the Foreign Ministers of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavsky; Slovak Republic, Rastislav Kacer, along with Austrian Federal Minister Schallenberg in the Slavkov format. Discussions are expected to focus on regional and global issues.