Jaishankar Meets Luxembourg PM, Strengthens India-EU Ties on Europe Tour

Sharing details of the meeting on social media platform X, Jaishankar wrote, "Pleased to meet Prime Minister @LucFrieden of Luxembourg this morning. Conveyed warm greetings of PM @narendramodi. Discussed our growing cooperation in financial services, investments, technology & innovation. Thank him for his support for stronger India-EU ties."

The Luxembourg engagement followed Jaishankar's meetings in France earlier in the visit. On Monday, the External Affairs Minister met with International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol in Paris, where discussions focused on key global energy issues, including oil markets and nuclear power.

Sharing details of that interaction on X, Jaishankar said, "Pleased to meet Executive Director @IEA @fbirol this morning. Appreciate his assessment of the global energy scenario and his support for India's growth and development."

Birol also described the meeting on social media, saying he was "delighted" to meet Jaishankar for "warm and productive" discussions in Paris. Outlining the scope of the talks, he said, "We spoke about global energy issues, including oil markets, nuclear power & critical minerals, as well as India's strong commitment to become a full @IEA Member."

In another engagement in Paris, Jaishankar interacted with participants of the French-Indian Young Talents Program organised by the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Franco-Indienne. Reflecting on the interaction in a post on X, he said the discussions focused on "the transformations underway in the world and the importance of India-France collaboration in that context."

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during his visit to France, the External Affairs Minister is scheduled to meet with French leadership and hold discussions with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

The meetings form part of Jaishankar's six-day official visit to France and Luxembourg. In Luxembourg, his engagements focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors. During the visit, the External Affairs Minister is also scheduled to meet with members of the Indian community.

India and Luxembourg share warm and friendly relations marked by mutual understanding and cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1948.

Luxembourg opened its Embassy in New Delhi in February 2002, one of its five embassies in Asia, and also maintains honorary consuls in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.

The visit underscores India's continued engagement with its European partners and its commitment to deepening strategic and diplomatic ties at a time when negotiations between New Delhi and the European Union on a long-pending Free Trade Agreement have entered a "decisive phase."

- ANI