External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held extensive talks with senior European leaders in Brussels, noting that India and the European Union have made significant advances in bilateral ties following their high-level summit in January.

During his two-day official visit to Belgium from 14 to 15 July, Jaishankar engaged in wide-ranging deliberations on trade, technology, security, maritime commerce and supply chain resilience. His discussions included meetings with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas.

Jaishankar is in Belgium to attend the third India-EU Trade and Technology Council assembly and to interact with his EU and Belgian counterparts. He is accompanied by a senior Indian delegation comprising Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister of State Jitin Prasada.

Following his meeting with Costa, Jaishankar posted on X that he and his colleagues recognised the significant progress in the partnership since the landmark India-EU summit earlier this year. He expressed appreciation for Costa’s guidance and warm sentiments in advancing trade and technology cooperation.

He conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warm wishes during the meeting, which also included Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay K Sood. The Indian delegation underscored the importance of building on the momentum generated by the January summit.

The India-EU Summit held in New Delhi earlier this year was a pivotal moment. Costa, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, attended the Republic Day celebrations as chief guests. The summit, co-chaired by Prime Minister Modi and EU leadership, resulted in a landmark Free Trade Agreement and a comprehensive new Security and Defence Partnership.

Beginning his Brussels itinerary, Jaishankar first met Kallas to review developments in West Asia, regional stability and the critical need for safe and unimpeded maritime commerce. They also discussed advancing the India-EU Strategic Partnership to ensure supply chain resilience.

EAM Jaishankar described the discussions as useful, emphasising the importance of peace and stability in West Asia and the need to safeguard maritime trade routes. He highlighted the role of India and the EU in ensuring resilient supply chains.

Kallas termed the current period a historic year for EU-India relations, noting that cooperation has deepened across trade, technology, security and defence. She expressed optimism about taking the partnership further, particularly in maritime security.

She stressed that both sides must defend freedom of navigation, protect open and resilient supply chains and deepen cooperation between EU operations ATALANTA and ASPIDES and the Indian Navy to uphold security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Expanding the scope of his visit, Jaishankar also held talks with Flanders Minister-President Matthias Diependaele and Minister Annick De Ridder. The discussions explored regional business opportunities and investment prospects.

Jaishankar noted that the India-EU Free Trade Agreement has enabled a wide range of possibilities for India’s cooperation with Belgium. He emphasised the potential for businesses and investments from the Flanders region.

The high-level discussions in Brussels focused on scaling up India-EU strategic ties across core sectors such as trade, technology and security, while simultaneously tapping into fresh business and investment opportunities in Belgium.

ANI