Jaishankar Meets Luxembourg Leaders, Seeks Stronger India-EU Ties

Sharing details of the meeting on social media platform X, Jaishankar wrote, "Honoured to call on HRH Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg this afternoon. Conveyed the warm greetings of President Droupadi Murmu. Value his positive sentiments for India, and for deepening our bilateral partnership."

As part of his engagements in Luxembourg, the External Affairs Minister also met Prime Minister Luc Frieden, with discussions focusing on further strengthening cooperation across key sectors between India and Luxembourg.

The meetings form part of Jaishankar's six-day official visit to France and Luxembourg.

Providing details of that interaction on 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."

These meetings in Luxembourg followed Jaishankar's engagements in France earlier during his visit. On Monday, he met International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol in Paris, where discussions centred on key global energy issues, including oil markets and nuclear power.

Sharing details of the meeting 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 interaction 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 on X, he said the discussions focused on "the transformations underway in the world and the importance of India-France collaboration in that context."

In Luxembourg, his engagements are focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors, and he is also scheduled to meet members of the Indian community during the visit.

India and Luxembourg share warm and friendly relations marked by mutual understanding and cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels, the MEA 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 India and the European Union on a long-pending Free Trade Agreement have entered a "decisive phase."

- ANI