Brussels : The Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S Jaishankar, spoke on Wednesday at the German Marshall Brussels Forum 2025, where he stressed the importance of India relations with the European Union.
Jaishankar said that India gives “fairly high priority” to its relations with the EU, highlighting the growing interest in Europe in the last decade.
Jaishankar expressed its optimism about the Indian-EU (ALE) free trade agreement, saying that the discussions have been positive and that the agreement is “at the sight” of being finalized by the end of the year.
Jaishankar said: “We are really trying to deepen our links, the centerpiece is the FTA.”
He said that his meetings had been very positive and noted that discussions had taken place on mobility and talent flows, education.
On the calendar of the conclusion of the free trade agreement between India and the EU, EAM Jaishankar noted that since the visit of the College of Commissioners in February, “many has been done and that everything I heard during this trip gives me the confidence that it is at the sight that at the end of this year, it is possible to do it”.
Jaishankar also discussed trade tensions between the EU and the United States, declaring that India values its relations with the two partners and will take care of each of the terms that are mutually beneficial.
He recognized that Europe has distinct positions on many questions, which do not always align with those of the United States.
Jaishankar said: “We see today that Europe has a distinct position on many questions, it is not necessarily the positions shared today in the United States, so it is a reality. We appreciate our relations with the United States as we do with the EU that we will deal with each in terms that are best for both of us.”
In the conflict of Russia-Ukraine, Jaishankar reiterated the position of India according to which the differences between countries cannot be settled by the war and that negotiations are the best way to follow.
He noted that although this position may not have been widely accepted at the start, the world is now to reconcile.
“We felt from the start, even if two countries have differences, it cannot be settled by the cause of the war. Two, if the war started, you cannot obtain solutions on the battlefield … The answer is then to negotiate. It is logical to negotiate directly only by the convoluted signaling. So that is our position.” He noted that although this position was not widely accepted in 2022, the world is heard now. “”
Jaishankar is in Brussels where he organized several interactions with senior officials from the European Union. Discussions have experienced positive developments on several fronts of the India-UE partnership.
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