Trade, security in focus as Jaishankar visits Brussels after India-EU deal

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar embarked on a two-day official visit to Brussels to interact with foreign ministers of the 27 European Union (EU) member states at the foreign affairs council meeting.

During the visit, the EAM will also hold meetings with the leadership of the EU, and his counterparts from Belgium and other EU member states, the MEA said in a press statement.

This is the first visit of the foreign minister to Europe after the signing of India-EU free trade agreement in January. The signed FTA, considered as the ‘mother of all deals’ was sealed following the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top EU leadership on January 27.

Why the visit holds significance

Jaishankar’s Europe visit holds special significance for a range of reasons. The visit highlights India’s shifting geopolitical priorities, with a renewed focus on Europe.

Experts see the deepening of India-EU ties as a geopolitical compulsion for both, with a focus to enhance bilateral trade amid global turbulence. The strategic weight of the partnership can be gauzed from the fact that India and EU are home to roughly a quarter of the world’s population.

The geopolitical depth of the partnership further increased due to the catalyst effect of US President Donald Trump, where both the India and EU found themselves at the receiving end.

Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff (including 25 per cent penalty tariff) on India for its relations with Russia. At the same time, he also put his European allies on an uncomfortable position, while questioning the sovereignty of Denmark over Greenland. Trump also warned of a ‘very bad future for NATO’ if the allies fail to adhere his line in the ongoing West Asia conflict.

In the FTA, the EU Commission also abandoned its previous policy of enforcing European social and environmental preferences as side agreements.

West Asia conflict

The visit is also significant as it marks Jaishankar’s first visit since the start of Iran war. Both India and EU are finding it difficult to fulfill their energy needs, amid the prolonged blockade of Strait of Hormuz, which is a key shipping route for transportation of crude oil and natural gas.

Ahead of his visit, Jaishankar also spoke to his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia to discuss the latest developments surrounding the conflict.

Jaishankar wrote on social media that he and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan exchanged views on various aspects of the regional situation. He said in an another post that he had discussed ongoing developments related to the conflict in West Asia with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday night.