On Sunday, during the Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat, Oman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with his Mauritius, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka counterparts.

In his meeting with Mauritius' Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ritish Ramful, Jaishankar emphasised India's commitment to deepening the "special bonds of friendship" between the two countries. He also mentioned that this was his first meeting with Ramful.

On X, Jaishankar stated, “A warm first meeting with FM @RitishRamful of Mauritius. Underlined our commitment to further our special bonds of friendship."

EAM Jaishankar met with his Maldives counterpart, Abdulla Khaleel, where they discussed various aspects of India-Maldives cooperation.

Jaishankar shared details of his meeting with his Maldives counterpart on X, stating, "Pleased to catch up with FM @abkhaleel of Maldives. Exchanged views on the many facets of our cooperation."

He also met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, where they discussed broad areas of cooperation between the two nations. Jaishankar reaffirmed India's commitment to supporting Sri Lanka's economic recovery and progress.

"A productive interaction with FM @HMVijithaHerath on sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference took stock of our wide-ranging cooperation. Committed to the economic recovery and progress of Sri Lanka," Jaishankar wrote on X.

S. Jaishankar met Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Arzu Rana Deuba, on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference. They discussed bilateral cooperation and explored ways to strengthen ties.

Sharing details about the meeting on X, Jaishankar wrote, "Glad to meet with FM @Arzuranadeuba of Nepal today. Had a useful review of our bilateral cooperation. Look forward to strengthening our ties."

Jaishankar met with his Bhutanese counterpart, DN Dhungyel, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation.

In a post on X, the External Affairs Minister wrote, "A pleasure talking with @FMBhutan D. N. Dhungyel in Muscat today. Our discussion focused on advancing our bilateral and regional cooperation. Underlined the dynamism of our unique and time-tested partnership."

On his visit to Oman, Jaishankar also met with the foreign ministers of Oman, Brunei and Iran at the Indian Ocean Conference. He also discussed with Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Advisor, Md. Touhid Hossain.

Jaishankar delivered a keynote address at the conference, emphasising the importance of honouring agreements to maintain stability. He also discussed the maritime impacts of the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

The 8th Indian Ocean Conference, organised by India Foundation in collaboration with Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was held in Muscat on February 16-17, 2025. This year’s theme was "Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership."

The Indian Ocean Conference, first held by the India Foundation in 2016 in Singapore, now includes participation from 30 countries, as stated in the official announcement. Over the past eight years, it has become a key platform for regional consultations on various issues.