Jaishankar Meets European Council President, Emphasises Trade and Technology Cooperation

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met European Council President Antonio Costa in Brussels on Monday, expressing appreciation for his guidance in advancing trade and technology cooperation between India and the European Union. The meeting took place during Mr. Jaishankar's two-day visit to Belgium for the third India-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting.

Mr. Jaishankar, along with Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister of State Jitin Prasada, is participating in discussions aimed at deepening the partnership. In a social media post, Mr. Jaishankar noted the significant progress since the landmark India-EU Summit held in New Delhi in January, which saw the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and a new Security and Defence Partnership.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Jaishankar met European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas, discussing the West Asia conflict and the need for safe and unimpeded maritime commerce. The two also spoke about enhancing supply chain resilience under the India-EU Strategic Partnership. Ms. Kallas described this year as historic for EU-India relations, emphasising cooperation on trade, technology, security, and defence, as well as maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.

Mr. Jaishankar also met with Minister-President of Flanders Matthias Diependaele and Minister Annick De Ridder, highlighting opportunities for business and investment from the Flanders region, enabled by the India-EU FTA.

The visit underscores the growing ties between India and the EU, with both sides working to strengthen economic and strategic cooperation.