The Indian minister was on an official visit to France and Luxembourg from January 4-9 to discuss matters of global importance.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has predicted that 2026 will mark an upswing in India-Europe relations. He also sought support from Luxembourg to give the European Union a boost in New Delhi's relationship.
“So are there other particular countries, particular relationships that we can trust more than others? And I think that common sense is today bringing India and the European Union much closer,” he said while interacting with the Indian community in Luxembourg.
Highlighting the volatility and uncertainty in the global landscape, Jaishankar said countries are reassessing their interests and calculations, increasingly arguing that “it is not enough to de-risk — we should be building closer friendships and deeper partnerships.”
“So I can fairly confidently predict that 2026 will see an upswing in ties with Europe. You will see, certainly, I can speak for the Indian end of that, you will see a much greater investment of time and energy and attention on our part where Europe is concerned,” he added.
Jaishankar said India is now far more committed to pushing its products into global markets. Despite tariff volatility this year, he noted, exports have performed better than expected.
He also participated in India's inaugural engagement in the Weimar Triangle format. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Jaishankar described the talks as short but deep and open, covering three key areas: India-European Union relations, the Indo-Pacific region, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The minister emphasized that India's deepening engagement with Europe, both collectively through Brussels and bilaterally with member states, naturally lends itself to smaller group interactions like the Weimar format to advance broader cooperation.
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India, Europe can stabilize global economy India is strengthening its relationship with Europe and both sides can bring more stability into the international economy and global politics, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. His remarks, after holding talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in Paris, came in the face of an ever-changing geopolitical environment. The external affairs minister said Europe is an important player in global politics and it is necessary that India strengthens its relationship with it. "I think it was a very conscious choice. It was a choice which reflected our belief that this relationship with Europe is really poised to grow, grow to the next level," Jaishankar said at a media briefing when asked why he was in Europe. "So there is really a very substantive relationship, much more that can be done. But other than that, I think there is a larger discussion today that the world needs about the global order," Jaishankar said. |
