Brussels, March 16 External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Belgium on Monday, discussing developments in West Asia and Ukraine.
EAM Jaishankar expressed his appreciation for von der Leyen's insights on contemporary global developments.
"It was a pleasure to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this afternoon. Her successful state visit to India in January marked a turning point in our relationship. We are actively following up on this. I appreciate her insights on contemporary global developments," EAM Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting.
Ursula von der Leyen stated that India and the European Union (EU) are focused on the efficient implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and a Security and Defence Partnership to benefit the people of both sides as soon as possible.
In a post on X, Ursula von der Leyen stated, "Good meeting with S Jaishankar today. At the EU-India Summit in January, we finalized our Free Trade Agreement – the most important deal – and signed a Security and Defence Partnership."
"Now we are focused on efficient implementation to benefit the people of Europe and India as soon as possible. We also discussed developments in the Middle East and in Ukraine. De-escalation, stability, and energy security are our shared objectives," she added.
EAM Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Belgium at the invitation of European Union (EU) High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas to interact with the Foreign Ministers of the 27 EU Member States at the Foreign Affairs Council Meeting.
A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) read: "During the visit, EAM will also hold meetings with the leadership of the European Union, and his counterparts from Belgium and other EU Member States. The visit of EAM, coming soon after the historic 16th India-EU Summit, is expected to further deepen India’s Strategic Partnership with the European Union."
On January 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union, stressing that the landmark partnership between two major economies will create new opportunities for businesses, consumers, and the skilled workforce.
