Kapil Sibal meets country’s consular heads posted abroad

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal met the country''s envoys, who are posted abroad, on the concluding day of the Conference of the Heads of Missions (HoMs) here on Sunday.

About 119 HoMs from Indian Embassies and High Commissions participated in the three-day conference, conceived to brainstorm on the course of the national foreign policy and chart its future course.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A K Antony and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, addressed and interacted with the delegates during the course of the three-day conference.

The HoMs participated in a series of interactive sessions covering a wide spectrum of foreign policy issues, including developments in India''s immediate and extended neighbourhood, relations with key nations and regions, as well as regional and international issues of importance to India.

On Friday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the conference. The envoys also called on President Pratibha Patil later in the day.

The HoMs also held discussions on various issues with distinguished personalities from business and industry, such as author and columnist Gurcharan Das and Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi during sessions organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). (ANI)