Jaishankar meets German MP Jurgen Hardt; discusses West Asia, Ukraine, and strategic partnership
New Delhi, August 14
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Jurgen Hardt, German MP and Foreign Policy Spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, on Friday to discuss key geopolitical developments and strengthen bilateral ties.
In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar highlighted that the exchange covered major regional and global security matters, alongside core areas of bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, the two leaders deliberated on evolving situations in the Gulf, West Asia, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, underlining a shared commitment to peace and stability. The discussion also focused on deepening high-level diplomatic engagement and expanding overall strategic cooperation between India and Germany.
"A pleasure to meet @juergenhardt, Foreign Policy spokesperson @cducsubt. Our conversation covered recent developments pertaining to the Gulf, West Asia, Ukraine and the Strategic Partnership," Jaishankar posted.
The meeting reflects India's continued effort to engage with European lawmakers and policymakers on key mutual interests and global security challenges.
Earlier in February, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference 2026 in Germany.
"A G-4 meeting of India, Germany, Japan and Brazil to discuss reformed multilateralism. Held on the sidelines of the @MunSecConf for the first time," EAM Jaishankar wrote on X.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Wadephul acknowledged that, in previous years, grouping countries primarily under the BRICS framework had led to some alienation."Some years ago, we first saw these countries as being members of the BRICS, and that sort of alienated us from them, and that was wrong," he said.
Wadephul added, "We have a lot of things in common with countries like India and Brazil. Why not focus on these common interests and common values? This is, I think, the new view that Europe and Germany are putting into the work."
According to MEA, given its key role in the EU and the strength of our bilateral relations, Germany is one of India's most important partners in Europe. The Strategic Partnership between the two countries completed 25 years of success in 2025. EAM and Foreign MinisterJohann Wadephul launched an official logo commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership in May 2025.
As the 3rd and 4th largest economies in the world, respectively, Germany and India share a robust economic and developmental partnership. Besides strong economic ties, both countries have a shared interest in upholding democratic values, the rules-based international order and multilateralism, as well as the reform of multilateral institutions.
Both sides have also acknowledged the need to further deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation to jointly address global security challenges, the MEA stated.
— ANI
Reader Comments
"Why not focus on common interests and common values?" - That's a refreshing statement from Wadephul. It's nice to see Europe recognizing that India isn't just about one bloc. We have so much to offer and share with Germany.
The G-4 meeting of India, Germany, Japan and Brazil is a smart move. Reformed multilateralism is the need of the hour. India is being seen as a leading voice for the Global South, and Germany understands that. Strategic partnership completed 25 years - that's solid.
I think it's good that we're diversifying our partnerships. But I also wonder - are we being too eager to please everyone? We need to keep prioritizing our own regional security concerns, especially in South Asia and the Indian Ocean. Hope the discussions went beyond just talking.
Jaishankar ji is doing a great job representing India on the global stage. Germany is a powerhouse in the EU, and our ties are growing well. Defence and security cooperation needs to speed up though - that's where the real strategic depth lies.
It's interesting to see the shift in European perception - from viewing India as a BRICS member to now recognizing us as a standalone strategic partner. The comment about alienation was quite honest. Growth in mutual trust is always welcome. ✨
S We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.