New Delhi – India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gathered the country’s top diplomats in New Delhi on Wednesday for the 11th Heads of Missions Conference, telling High Commissioners, Ambassadors and senior Ministry of External Affairs officials that Indian diplomacy is prepared to protect and advance the country’s interests in an increasingly unstable world.
“Our interaction recognised the significant expansion of India’s engagement with the world in the last decade. In a volatile and turbulent world, Indian diplomacy stands ready to advance national interest and secure national goals,” Jaishankar said in a post on X after the conference.
The same day, Jaishankar also sat down with Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld Rosero, who arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday morning for a three-day official visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. 
“Pleased to welcome FM Gabriela Sommerfeld Rosero of Ecuador, who is on her first visit to India. We discussed ways to deepen cooperation, including in trade, health, agriculture, digital and capacity building. Will cooperate closely in multilateral forums,” Jaishankar said.
He welcomed Ecuador’s decision to begin the process of joining the India-led International Solar Alliance and the International Big Cat Alliance, and noted that an agreement on funding for Quick Impact Projects marked a step forward in the two countries’ development partnership.
A day earlier, on Tuesday, Jaishankar met Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, for talks covering UN reforms, the Sustainable Development Goals, artificial intelligence and the conflict in West Asia. He called for reformed multilateralism that better reflects the concerns and aspirations of the Global South, and expressed appreciation for Baerbock’s leadership at the UNGA.
Baerbock is in India at Jaishankar’s invitation as part of a wider visit to Asia, during which she is meeting senior government officials, representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the UN Country Team in India, as well as the UN Country Team in Bhutan.
