Nepal, Bangladesh foreign ministers meet on sidelines of Indian Ocean Conference

Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal held a meeting on Friday with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on the margins of the Indian Ocean Conference in Port Louis, Mauritius.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the cordial state of bilateral relations.

They deliberated on diverse sectors to further consolidate cooperation and enhance mutual ties.

Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir was also present at the meeting.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur is now in Port Louis, the capital of the East African country Mauritius, to attend the 9th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC-2026), which began on Friday.

It brought together leaders, policymakers, and experts from across the Indian Ocean Region to deliberate on shared responsibilities, cooperative frameworks, and the future of regional governance.

On the sidelines, Dr Khalilur is expected to hold discussions with counterparts from other participating nations.

He noted that this is also an opportunity to seek support for Bangladesh’s candidacy for the presidency of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (2026–27).

The India Foundation, in association with the Government of Mauritius and the Ministry of External Affairs of India, is organising the 9th Indian Ocean Conference.

The Foreign Minister had a number of meetings in New Delhi on Wednesday and reached Mauritius on Thursday.