Jaishankar meets Australian counterpart Penny Wong ahead of ASEAN meeting

Phnom Penh [Combodia], August 4 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Cambodia ahead of the ASEAN ministerial meeting on Thursday.
Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said that he and Wong took a positive note of the progress in the bilateral relations.
"Pleasure meeting FM @SenatorWong of Australia again. Took positive note of the progress in our bilateral relations. Benefited from the exchange of perspectives on regional and global issues," Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar arrived in Cambodia on Wednesday to attend the ASEAN ministerial meeting.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and said that it is always good to meet.
"Always good to meet. There's a lot we need to talk about and it is actually been a very busy year, we had a very good Quad and since then I think a number of developments all over the world...," Jaishnakar told Blinken in Phnom Penh.
Referring to the meeting, Blinken said that this is an opportunity for both the leaders to compare notes on mutual interest areas including a free and open Indo-Pacific as well as the Sri Lankan crisis.
Notably, Wong was appointed the foreign minister after Joe Morrison lost the election to the Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, who has now been sworn in as the new prime minister.
After her appointment, EAM Jaishankar called Wong a long-standing friend of India and said that he looks forward to meeting her soon.
"Congratulations @SenatorWong on your appointment as Australia's Foreign Minister. We know you as a longstanding friend of the #IndiaAustralia relationship. Look forward to meeting you soon," Jaishankar tweeted.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Jaishankar visited the 12th century Ta Prohm Temple in Siem Reap of Cambodia.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. (ANI)