External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held separate bilateral meetings with his Canadian, Mexican and Venezuelan counterparts on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday (local time).

In a post on X, Jaishankar said he met Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and described their talks as a “productive discussion” as both sides prepare to take the relationship to a higher level.

“Always a pleasure to meet FM @AnitaAnandMP of Canada #UNGA81. A productive discussion as we prepare to take the relationship to a higher level,” Jaishankar wrote, signalling a push to deepen engagement after a period of diplomatic strain.

Jaishankar also shared details of his meeting with Mexico’s Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez, posting a photograph from the encounter at UN headquarters.

He further said he had a “good meeting” with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia González at the United Nations headquarters, adding that energy ties between the two countries are gaining momentum.

“Our energy ties are gaining momentum, besides other areas of bilateral cooperation. We also discussed current regional issues,” he posted, though neither side announced a supply contract, investment figure or timetable after the meeting.

The talks with Caracas come as India looks to diversify energy sources beyond traditional West Asian suppliers, with Venezuela viewed as a long-term partner given its large crude reserves and past cooperation in refining and training.

Earlier, addressing the 81st UNGA, Jaishankar said every nation has the right to shape its AI ecosystem through the development of its own models and deployment strategies in line with national goals and priorities.

He said Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a transformational driver for human empowerment, economic prosperity and solving population problems, while stressing the need for technology democratisation and cultural understanding.

“An issue central to current global conversations, is that of AI. India hosted the AI Impact Summit this February, gathering together the best minds on that subject. We view AI as a transformational driver, for human empowerment, economic prosperity and population-scale problem solving,” he said.

Jaishankar added that India views AI as an important part of its partnership agenda with the Global South, framing the technology as a tool for inclusive development rather than a domain restricted to a few advanced economies.

ANI