EAM Jaishankar travels to Cyprus for informal EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting
Berlin, May 27
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is travelling to Cyprus on Wednesday to attend an informal meeting of the European Union Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
En route to Nicosia, EAM Jaishankar was received by India's Ambassador to Germany Ajit Gupte at the Frankfurt Airport. Gupte briefed EAM Jaishankar on India-Germany ties and sought his guidance to further strengthen the strategic partnership between two nations.
"Hon'ble EAM was received by Amb Ajit Gupte at Frankfurt Airport, enroute to Cyprus for the EU FM meeting. Ambassador briefed EAM on India-Germany relations and sought EAM's guidance to further strengthen the India-Germany Strategic Partnership," the Indian Embassy in Germany posted on X on Wednesday.
EAM Jaishankar has been invited to attend the EU's Informal Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers (Gymnich) in Cyprus' Limassol on May 27-28.
The meeting will be co-chaired by Cyprus' Minister of Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
Along with EAM Jaishankar, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Bin Abdullah Al Saud has also been invited to attend the meeting, the Cyprus government stated.
Later today, Kombos is scheduled to host a welcome dinner for the visiting Foreign Ministers, which will also be attended by Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha.
On May 28, the informal Gymnich meeting will take place at the Port of Limassol. During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers are expected to discuss current and regional issues, including the war in Ukraine. The ministers will also discuss strategic initiatives on security and defence matters, including preparations for the new European Security Strategy, according to the statement.
On May 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and expressed complete agreement with her over the "strong potential of India-Europe ties, especially in the wake of the signing of India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA)".
Taking to his official X account while replying to a post from the EU Chief, PM Modi said: "It was a delight to meet you in Gothenburg, President Ursula von der Leyen. Fully agree with you on the strong potential of India-Europe ties, especially in the wake of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement."
The EU Chief in a post on X said: "Happy to join Swedish PM, PM Narendra Modi in Gothenburg. Our EU-India agreement -- the mother of all deals! -- heralds a new era in our relations. We're working hard to have it applied this year. To fast-forward its benefits for our people & businesses."
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's encouraging to see India being invited to EU foreign ministers' meetings. Shows how seriously Europe is taking India as a strategic partner. Hope we see concrete outcomes on trade and security soon.
Important to note that Ukraine's foreign minister is also attending. India's balanced approach on the Ukraine conflict gives us unique credibility. We can play a bridge-building role between Russia, Ukraine, and the West. While I wish we were more vocal about peace, this diplomacy is savvy.
Jaishankar is really putting India on the global map! From Quad to EU meetings, he's everywhere. But I do hope the FTA gets signed quickly—our MSMEs and startups need that boost. Also, security cooperation with Europe is crucial given the China situation.
Happy to see our EAM engaging with the EU. But let's be honest—these informal meetings often produce lots of photo ops and few results. Hope this Gymnich meeting leads to real progress on the India-EU FTA, not just another round of talks. Actions speak louder than press releases.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.