Khurshid to hold talks with foreign counterparts

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will hold a series of bilateral meetings in the next two days with representatives of a number of countries, including Australia and Iran, on the sidelines of Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation conference here.

He will hold bilateral meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gamini Peiris on Friday.

Khurshid will meet Foreign Minister of Seychelles Jean Paul Adam and Parliamentary Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia Richard Marles on Thursday and discuss a number of bilateral, regional and international issues.

Oman Foreign Minister

Khurshid will also meet Foreign Minister of Oman Yousuf Alawi on Friday and discuss various issues of mutual interest.

The 19-member IOR-ARC will hold its meeting on Friday in Gurgaon. The meeting will find ways to work closely to strengthen the Association through concrete steps in the six priority areas of maritime security and piracy, fisheries management, disaster risk reduction, tourism and cultural exchanges, academic and S&T cooperation and trade and investment facilitation.