New Delhi, March 15 (UNI) India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Brussels, Belgium on Sunday for a two-day visit aimed at further strengthening India’s engagement with European partners. He was received by Dr. M. Balaji, who is currently serving as the Chargé d’Affaires and DCM at the Embassy of India in Brussels.
Earlier in a statement issued, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the union minister is on a two-day visit at the invitation of European union (EU) High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas to interact with Foreign Ministers of the 27 EU Member States at the Foreign Affairs Council Meeting.
Kallas visited India in January 2026 to strengthen the growing strategic partnership between India and the EU. During the visit, she held high-level discussions with senior Indian leaders, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, focusing on expanding cooperation in areas such as security, defence and trade, while also addressing emerging geopolitical challenges like maritime security and cyber threats.
A key outcome of the visit was the signing of a new India-EU security and defence partnership at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, which both sides described as an important step toward revitalising bilateral engagement. The visit also sought to push forward negotiations on the long-pending India-EU Free Trade Agreement, aimed at enhancing trade flows and reducing tariffs in sectors such as electronics and textiles.
According to MEA, during the visit, EAM will also hold meetings with the leadership of the European Union, and his counterparts from Belgium and other EU Member States. The visit of EAM, coming soon after the historic 16th India-EU Summit is expected to further deepen India’s Strategic Partnership with the European Union.
India and Belgium share a longstanding and multifaceted relationship that dates back to September 1947, when Belgium became one of the first European nations to establish diplomatic relations with independent India.
The partnership has since evolved on the basis of shared values such as commitment to the rule of law, federalism and pluralism, with Belgium also supporting India’s aspiration for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
Economic and commercial engagement has traditionally formed the core of bilateral ties, with institutional dialogue taking place through the India-Belgium-Luxembourg Economic union Joint Economic Commission, established in 1997.
Bilateral trade remains robust, with India among Belgium’s key trading partners and commerce driven significantly by the diamond trade, alongside sectors such as chemicals, base metals and machinery. Around 160 Belgian companies operate in India, while major Indian IT firms have established a presence in Belgium to service both Belgian and wider European markets.
Cooperation also spans science and technology, renewable energy, information and communication technology, and maritime training initiatives involving the Antwerp Port Authority.
Education and cultural exchanges further strengthen ties, with hundreds of Indian students studying at universities in cities such as Ghent, Leuven, Antwerp and Brussels.
Cultural connections are reflected in commemorations honouring the sacrifice of over 9,000 Indian soldiers in the Flanders Fields during World War I and memorials dedicated to figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.
