External Affairs Minister Jaishankar Meets WHO Chief ‘Tulsi Bhai’ at Munich Security Conference

Munich [Germany], February 17, 2024 – External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar engaged in a fruitful discussion with the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on the sidelines of the ongoing Munich Security Conference. During the meeting, the two leaders explored topics related to traditional medicine and pandemic preparedness, with Jaishankar affectionately referring to Tedros as ‘Tulsi Bhai.’

Expressing his pleasure on Twitter, Jaishankar posted, “Glad to meet DG World Health Organization @DrTedros. Discussed traditional medicine and pandemic preparedness. Thank you, Tulsi bhai!”

The reference to ‘Tulsi Bhai’ traces back to Tedros’s visit to India last year, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi bestowed the Gujarati name upon him. During Tedros’s visit to Gujarat for health and medicine conventions, PM Modi playfully welcomed him with the name ‘Tulsi bhai,’ a moniker that the WHO chief embraced, expressing his fondness for being called a ‘pucca Gujarati.’

The 60th Munich Security Conference, taking place from February 16-18 at Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, is conducted in-person and chaired by the German Ambassador to the US, Christoph Heusgen.

In addition to his meeting with Tedros, Jaishankar held discussions with Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly on bilateral ties and met with German counterpart Annalena Baerbock to discuss global challenges and the upcoming India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations. Reflecting on the discussions, Jaishankar tweeted, “So good to meet my German colleague FM @ABaerbock on #MSC2024 sidelines. A wide-ranging conversation on global challenges and the pathway ahead. Appreciated her insights and assessments. Also reviewed preparations for the next meeting of our Inter-Governmental Consultations.”

Further reinforcing international relations, Jaishankar also held a meeting with Argentina’s Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, focusing on economic and political cooperation between the two nations. Sharing the update on social media, Jaishankar wrote, “Pleasure to meet FM @DianaMondino of Argentina this evening. Discussed our economic and political cooperation. Look forward to working with her.”