External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived here on Wednesday for a day-long UK visit to attend the 19th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting which is set to discuss the future strategy of the grouping.
The Minister will be joined by his counterparts from the other 52 member-countries of the Commonwealth at the meeting, to be chaired by UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt as part of Britain’s term as the current Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth.
According to senior officials, Jaishankar’s UK schedule is extremely tight and a bilateral meeting with Hunt is to be scheduled if time permits.
The Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting is set to discuss the future strategy and direction of the Commonwealth as the organisation celebrates its 70th anniversary.
Potential reforms of the Commonwealth Secretariat are also on the agendaof the talks.
Media freedom is a key theme for this year’s summit as Hunt co-hosts the first Global Conference for Media Freedom in London alongside fellow Commonwealth nation Canada.