On June 10, 2025, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in Brussels to discuss strengthening the India-EU alliance, with a particular emphasis on trade, security, and technical cooperation.
Following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead and escalated hostilities between India and Pakistan, including Indian precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the meeting was held amid heightened regional tensions.
Von der Leyen’s categorical denunciation of the Pahalgam incident and her declaration of unity in the war against terrorism were warmly received by Jaishankar. Both leaders emphasized the mutual advantages of increased cooperation in trade, technology, connectivity, and security for both areas and concurred that strong international cooperation is urgently needed to fight terrorism.
Von der Leyen emphasized that India and the EU are fortifying their “strategic partnership,” pointing to continued efforts on a Strategic Agenda focused on growth, an ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA), technology and innovation, and security and defense cooperation. At the upcoming India-EU Summit, she said she was looking forward to embracing this agenda with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As previously agreed upon by Prime Minister Modi and von der Leyen in February, Jaishankar and von der Leyen reiterated during their talks their commitment to completing a thorough and balanced free trade agreement by the end of 2025. Resuming in 2022 after a protracted break, the free trade agreements (FTAs) are considered essential for establishing robust supply chains, improving digital and technological collaborations, and stabilizing and derisking the global economy.
In addition to the bilateral discussion, Jaishankar met with Indian community members in Belgium and Luxembourg to provide them with updates on India’s development and counterterrorism initiatives. To explore extending collaboration in sectors like clean energy, mobility, medicines, defense, and innovation, he met with Belgian leadership, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, as well as members of the European Parliament.
The visit comes three months after Belgium’s Princess Astrid led a major economic mission to India, demonstrating the increasing vigor of India’s engagement with Belgium and the wider EU. Labor migration, military, medicines, diamonds, space exploration, and green energy were among the main subjects covered during this voyage.
The first India-EU strategic discussion, which addressed defense, maritime security, cyber concerns, artificial intelligence, and space collaboration, was also part of the series of events in Brussels. As a symbol of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen relations in both established and developing areas, the two sides decided to start a new space cooperation dialogue and conduct their next counter-terrorism dialogue in the fall.
All things considered, Jaishankar’s trip to Brussels was a major step toward strengthening the strategic alliance between India and the EU, and in the months to come, real progress is anticipated in trade talks, security cooperation, and cooperative technology projects.
