External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar paid an official two-day visit to Brussels, Belgium, on 15–16 March 2026. The visit was undertaken at the invitation of EU High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas to interact with the Foreign Ministers of the 27 EU Member States at the Foreign Affairs Council Meeting.
Upon arrival on 15 March, Dr. Jaishankar was received at the airport by Dr. M. Balaji, Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Brussels.
This visit marked the first high-level visit from India to the Brussels-headquartered EU after the two sides concluded a landmark Free Trade Agreement in January. The visit came soon after the 16th India-EU Summit and was expected to further deepen India’s strategic partnership with the European Union.
EU Foreign Affairs Council Meeting
In this session of the Foreign Affairs Council Meeting, ministers exchanged views on EU relations with the Southern Neighbourhood, including taking stock of the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean, launched in October 2025. The agenda included discussions on other ongoing geopolitical events as well.
During the visit, Dr. Jaishankar held meetings with the leadership of the European Union and other EU member states. Taking to X, Dr. Jaishankar posted updates on his meeting with the Foreign Minister of Belgium: “Started Day 2 in Brussels, meeting with the FM of Belgium. Discussed intensifying our cooperation in trade & investment, semiconductors, health, technology & innovation. Agreed to establish a Strategic Dialogue.”
He also had a separate meeting with Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos. In a post on X, Dr. Jaishankar wrote, “Pleasure to meet FM Constantinos Kombos of Cyprus today in Brussels. Discussed ways to further strengthen our strategic partnership and exchanged views on the situation in West Asia. Holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, I appreciate Cyprus’ support in advancing European Union–India engagement.”
India-EU Strategic Dialogue 2026
The Brussels visit followed a period of intensified India-EU engagement. On 6 March 2026, the first EU-India Security and Defence Dialogue was held in New Delhi, building on the momentum of the 16th India-EU Summit and the EU-India Security and Defence Partnership signed by High Representative Kallas and Minister Jaishankar. Kallas had visited India in January 2026, where she held high-level discussions with senior Indian leaders, focusing on cooperation in security, defence, and trade and addressing emerging geopolitical challenges, such as maritime security and cyber threats.
