United Nations, Sep 24 (IANS): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met France’s new Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barro on Tuesday and discussed 'major regional issues'.

After their meeting on the sidelines of the high-level annual meeting of the General Assembly, Jaishankar wrote on X that they had “a useful exchange of views on major regional issues”.

Barro was appointed foreign minister last week by Prime Minister Michel Barnier who took over after the snap elections.

India and France have close relations, diplomatically and strategically.

French companies are an important source of aircraft for India’s defence forces.

Earlier, Jaishankar on Tuesday met Bangladesh foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain in New York. This is the first bilateral meeting between New Delhi and Dhaka after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“Had a meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of Bangladesh in New York this evening. The conversation focused on our bilateral ties,” Jaishankar wrote on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus could not meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly due to different arrival and departure timings.

On September 21, Hossain said Yunus would not be meeting Modi in New York due to different schedules. He had, however, said he would hold a bilateral meeting with Jaishankar to advance the relationship between the two neighbours.