Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended his congratulations to Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel on the occasion of Portugal's National Day, expressing a commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between India and Portugal.

Jaishankar shared this message on X (formerly Twitter), emphasising ongoing efforts to enhance the partnership and engagements with the European Union (EU).

This congratulatory message came amid Jaishankar's official visit to France, the EU, and Belgium from June 8 to 14, 2025. During this visit, he participated in the first EU-India Strategic Dialogue alongside EU Vice President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

At this meeting, Jaishankar reiterated India's support for concluding an "ambitious and balanced" Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU, highlighting the importance of deepening ties between India and the EU as "two important forces" shaping emerging global realities.

The visit also followed a recent economic mission to India led by Princess Astrid of Belgium, which discussed cooperation in areas such as labour migration, pharmaceuticals, defence, diamonds, space exploration, and green energy. Notably, Jaishankar's visit coincides with the detention of Mehul Choksi, a fugitive Indian diamantaire held in a Belgian jail on India's extradition request. India is expected to pursue Choksi's extradition during the visit, leveraging the existing extradition treaty with Belgium.

Jaishankar's interactions during this European tour underscore India's intent to bolster bilateral relations with Portugal and the broader EU, focusing on strategic, economic, and diplomatic cooperation.

Based On ANI Report