External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on February 20, 2025, during the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg. Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warm greetings and reaffirmed India’s support for South Africa’s G20 priorities, marking a significant diplomatic engagement as South Africa hosts the G20 for the first time on the African continent.
In a post on X, Jaishankar highlighted India’s dedication to advancing South Africa’s agenda during its G20 chairmanship and conveyed his honor at meeting President Ramaphosa. In addition to this meeting, Jaishankar engaged in discussions about global issues and the development of bilateral ties with a number of world leaders, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met in Johannesburg on Thursday to talk about the turmoil in Ukraine and India-Russia bilateral cooperation. On the fringes of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the meeting took place.
Jaishankar and Lavrov talked about the Ukraine conflict, particularly Lavrov’s recent meeting in Riyadh, and evaluated the status of bilateral cooperation between Russia and India. According to Jaishankar’s tweet
He went on to say that they “Talked about his meeting in Riyadh and recent developments related to the conflict in Ukraine.” decided to stay in contact. The meeting on X was also recognized by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Given the potential softening of U.S.-Russian ties and the possibility of a meeting between the two presidents to advance peace in Ukraine, the meeting between Jaishankar and Lavrov is noteworthy. Better business links between India and Russia may result from improved US-Russia relations and the relaxation of sanctions against Russia.
