Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Jaishankar Holds European Talks on Trade and Global Issues
S. Jaishankar is India’s External Affairs Minister.
He met four European foreign ministers at the United Nations.
They talked about world problems and how India and Europe can work together.
One topic was a trade agreement between India and the European Union.
The agreement was reached in January and is expected to be formally completed in December.
Jaishankar and the Dutch minister also discussed the Ukraine conflict.
Other talks covered technology, energy, factories, digital links, defence, climate change and artificial intelligence.
Jaishankar also met groups of countries from the Caribbean, Pacific islands and the Global South.
These groups discussed cooperation and changing the United Nations Security Council.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met foreign ministers from the Netherlands, Finland, Slovenia and Andorra at the United Nations.
The meetings covered global issues, economic cooperation, trade, investment and bilateral relations.
India and the European Union reached a Free Trade Agreement in January, which is scheduled for formalisation in December.
Jaishankar and his counterparts discussed the Ukraine conflict, technology, energy, manufacturing, connectivity, defence and climate change.
He also joined multilateral meetings with CARICOM, Pacific island countries and the L.69 group on Security Council reform.
- Who
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Finland, Slovenia and Andorra, along with several multilateral groups.
- What
- They discussed global issues, bilateral relations, economic cooperation, trade and investment, and multilateral cooperation.
- When
- Wednesday, during a series of meetings reported in local time.
- Where
- At the United Nations.
- Why
- To strengthen India’s bilateral and economic relationships, advance India-EU cooperation and discuss shared global and multilateral concerns.
- Indian official
- S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India
- European counterparts
- Tom Berendsen of the Netherlands, Elina Valtonen of Finland, Tone Kajzer of Slovenia and Imma Tor Faus of Andorra
- Trade agreement
- India and the European Union reached a Free Trade Agreement in January, scheduled for formalisation in December
- Strategic partnership
- India and the Netherlands upgraded their ties to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s May visit to The Hague
- Other discussion areas
- Energy, manufacturing, digital cooperation, connectivity, defence, climate change and artificial intelligence
- Multilateral meetings
- Jaishankar met ministers from CARICOM, the Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation and the L.69 group
- Security Council reform
- The L.69 meeting involved more than 30 Global South countries, with the leader of the C-10 African group also participating