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EAM Jaishankar meets top EU leadership; discusses trade, global issues
S Jaishankar visited the Belgian capital at the invitation of EU foreign and security policy chief Kaja Kallas to join a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.
The wars in Ukraine and West Asia, the situation in the Indo-Pacific and the development of India’s relations with Europe figured in external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with his counterparts from the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) in Brussels on Monday.
Jaishankar visited the Belgian capital at the invitation of EU foreign and security policy chief Kaja Kallas to join a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, which brings together the foreign ministers of the bloc. He also held separate meetings with European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and his counterparts from EU member states such as Germany and Belgium.
He said on social media that stronger convergence between India and the EU in a multipolar world is expressed in closer consultations. “Discussed the West Asia conflict, the Ukraine situation and the Indo-Pacific in today’s gathering,” he said.
Noting that a new chapter in India-EU ties has opened up this year, Jaishankar said the foreign ministers are coordinating to translate various agreements into outcomes. The discussions at the Foreign Affairs Council also covered trade, investment, technology, mobility and defence.
This was Jaishankar’s first visit to Brussels since India and the EU concluded a free trade deal and several important agreements, such as the Security and Defence Partnership to deepen cooperation in counter-terrorism and maritime and cyber security and a comprehensive framework for cooperation on mobility, at the India-EU Summit in New Delhi in January.
Kallas told reporters the Foreign Affairs Council discussed how to better protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including possible contributions by the EU’s naval mission Aspides, and a European security strategy. The closure of the strait is hurting the global economy, helping Russia fund its war, affecting the EU’s partners in the region, and dangerous for global energy supplies, she said.
The attention on the Middle East should not take the focus away from the war in Ukraine, and the easing of US sanctions on Russian oil sets a “dangerous precedent”, Kallas said.
Jaishankar and Von der Leyen, during their meeting discussed the implementation of the outcomes of the India-EU Summit in January. He said on social media that Von der Leyen’s successful visit to India marked a “turning point” in bilateral ties and both sides are vigorously following up on it.
Von der Leyen noted in a separate post that the two sides had concluded a free trade agreement – “the mother of all deals” – and signed the Security and Defence Partnership. “Now we are focused on efficient implementation, to deliver for the people of Europe and India as soon as possible,” she said.
“We also discussed developments in the Middle East and in Ukraine. De-escalation, stability and energy security are our shared objectives,” she added.
Jaishankar held separate meetings with German foreign minister Johann Wadephul, Slovakian foreign minister Juraj Blanár, Greek foreign minister Giorgos Gerapetritis and Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prevot and discussed bilateral relations and global issues such as repercussions of the conflict in West Asia.
Issues that figured in these meetings included cooperation in manufacturing, semiconductors, health, defence and space, enhancing diplomatic presence, strengthening connectivity and promoting trade and investment.
