External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has embarked on a significant week-long visit to France, the European Union, and Belgium from June 8 to 14, 2025, in a move designed to further bolster India's strategic ties with its key partners in Europe.

The visit underscores New Delhi's commitment to deepening cooperation across a range of sectors, including defence, trade, technology, and counter-terrorism, while also marking important diplomatic milestones with each of these countries and institutions.

In France, Jaishankar's itinerary includes bilateral discussions with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Noel Barrot in both Paris and Marseille. This visit comes as India and France celebrate 25 years of their strategic partnership, a relationship characterised by deep trust and robust cooperation in areas of strategic and contemporary relevance.

The two countries share similar perspectives on many regional and global issues, and Jaishankar's engagements will include meetings with senior French leadership, think tanks, and media. Notably, he will participate in the inaugural Mediterranean Raisina Dialogue in Marseille, further cementing the intellectual and diplomatic exchange between the two nations. This focus aligns with your interest in India-France relations, especially in the domains of counter-terrorism and economic cooperation.

The next leg of Jaishankar's visit takes him to Brussels, where he will hold a Strategic Dialogue with EU High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas. This marks the first such dialogue, reflecting the growing depth of the India-EU partnership, which has seen significant momentum following the historic visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India earlier this year. Discussions are expected to cover security, defence, and international issues of mutual concern.

Jaishankar will also meet senior leaders from the European Commission and European Parliament, and engage with think tanks and media, reinforcing India's commitment to a comprehensive and future-oriented relationship with the EU. This is particularly relevant to your focus on India-EU relations in defence, trade, and counter-terrorism.

The final segment of the visit centres on Belgium, where Jaishankar will hold bilateral consultations with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot.

India and Belgium enjoy warm relations and a robust economic partnership spanning trade, green energy, technology, pharmaceuticals, the diamond sector, and strong people-to-people ties. The visit will include meetings with senior Belgian leadership and interactions with the Indian diaspora, further strengthening the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

A key theme throughout Jaishankar's European tour is the reaffirmation of India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, particularly in the context of recent events such as Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack. The minister is expected to brief European leaders on India's firm stance against cross-border terrorism, seeking greater alignment and cooperation on security matters.

The Ministry of External Affairs has emphasised that this visit is poised to give renewed momentum to India's ties with France, the EU, and Belgium, providing new impetus to ongoing collaborations in diverse areas and reinforcing India's role as a proactive and reliable partner on the global stage.

Based On ANI Report