The July 25-26 visit of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Brazil was cancelled on July 24 as the government remained occupied with the situation that emerged after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir.
Sources said instead General (retd.) V.K. Singh, Minister of State for Road, Transport and Highways, will go to Brazil.
Mr. Jaishankar’s visit was announced last week during which he was expected to hold both bilateral and multilateral meetings with the BRICS nations. The visit was planned as a significant interaction between the two sides as it came a year after both sides observed 70 anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Both sides are expected to celebrate the 75 anniversary of bilateral ties in 2023.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to participate in a BRICS summit in Brazil’s capital Brasilia during November 13-14.
Diplomatic sources expressed surprise over Mr. Jaishankar cancelling his visit ahead of the BRICS summit. They, however, indicated that it has come in the backdrop of the crisis that erupted after Mr. Trump’s claim.
Subsequent to this, protests erupted in Parliament and Mr. Jaishankar issued statements denying that Mr. Modi had made such a request to Mr Trump, as India traditionally avoided third party intervention in bilateral disputes with Pakistan.
The diplomatic sources said they sensed that the cancellation had more to do with the need for Mr. Jaishankar’s presence in Parliament to deal with the Opposition parties’ protests over the issue, and did not indicate a downgrading of BRICS by the Indian side.
The current session of Parliament has been extended by two days as the government plans to push important bills.
Mr. Jaishankar was expected to meet his Brazilian counterpart Ernesto Araujo and discuss possibilities of agreements in health, defence, social security, investment and revitalisation of three-nation grouping IBSA. President Bolsonaro’s government is keen on greater coordination with India at the United Nations Security Council.
