New Delhi, June 1 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to the central European countries of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, both close neighbours of Ukraine, from June 2-6, even as the conflict rages on.

During his visit to Bratislava from June 2-4, the EAM will call on Eduard Heger, Prime Minister of Slovakia, and will hold bilateral discussions with Ivan Korčok, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia.

He will also attend the GLOBSEC 2022 Forum, a think tank, and speak on the topic ‘Taking Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific Region’.

EAM is scheduled to meet Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of European and International Affairs of Austria, on the sidelines of the GLOBSEC 2022 Forum, an official statement said.

During his visit to the Czech Republic from June 4-6, EAM will hold discussions with Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The discussions will provide an opportunity for a comprehensive review of our bilateral cooperation.

The Czech Republic will be taking over the EU Presidency from July 1.

In addition to meeting the political leadership of the two countries, EAM will also interact with a cross-section of the diaspora, including Indian students in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

India has traditionally enjoyed close and friendly ties with both Slovakia and the Czech Republic. EAM’s visit will impart further momentum to bilateral relations with the two Central European countries.

Both the landlocked countries, which are close neighbours of Ukraine, played an important part during Operation Ganga, when India had to evacuate thousands of its students from the war zone, using the airports of western neighbours of Kyiv.

India has thanked both countries for their help.

The visit also comes as the Ukraine conflict shows no signs of abating, and it has affected the food and fuel security of nations that were dependent on Russian oil and wheat from both the nations.

Both Slovakia and the Czech Republic are heavily dependent on Russian gas supplies.

UNI RN