External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his counterparts from the 27 member states of
the European Union (EU) in Brussels focusing on global flashpoints in Ukraine and West Asia as well as ways to deepen India’s relations with Europe

Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to the Belgian capital at the invitation of EU Foreign and Security Policy Chief Kaja Kallas to attend a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the bloc.

It is the first high-level visit from India to Brussels headquartered EU after the two sides firmed
up a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in January. The external affairs minister held separate meetings with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and his counterparts from Germany, Greece and Belgium.

“A new chapter in India-EU ties has opened up in 2026,” Jaishankar said in an apparent reference to the outcomes reached by the two sides in their summit meeting in January in New Delhi.

“The Foreign Ministers coordinate translating the various agreements into outcomes. Our
conversation today therefore covered trade, investment, technology, mobility and defence in
particular,” he said on social media.

“The stronger convergence between India and EU in a multipolar world is also expressed in
closer consultations. Discussed the West Asia conflict, the Ukraine situation and the Indo-Pacific in today’s gathering,” he said.

Apart from the FTA, the India-EU summit produced a plethora of other outcomes including a
security and defence partnership and a comprehensive framework for cooperation on mobility

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, Kallas told reporters.