EAM Jaishankar, EU Trade commissioner discuss prospects for India-EU economic cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday met European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan in Belgium's capital city of Brussels and discussed prospects for India-EU economic cooperation. Prior to this, the minister held talks with European Council President Charles Michel, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans, and EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen.

'Exchanged views on prospects for India-EU economic cooperation'

EAM Jaishankar arrives in Belgium 

Jaishnkar is in Brussels, the de facto capital of the European Union, which hosts a number of principal EU institutions, including its administrative-legislative, executive-political, and legislative branches. S Jaishankar arrived in Belgium on Monday for talks with leaders of the European Union on the bilateral issues and prepare the ground for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit for the India-EU summit next month.

Jaishankar, who was in Germany during the weekend for the Munich Security Conference, arrived in Brussels and met his Belgian counterpart, Philippe Goffin.

Jaishankar's visit comes weeks after the European Parliament postponed until March a vote on joint motion, combining five different resolutions tabled by its members against India's Citizenship Amendment Act, which was debated at its Plenary session in Brussels.

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During the debate, Helena Dalli, the Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, had said the Commission was looking forward to Prime Minister Modi's visit to Brussels in March for the 15th India-EU Summit.

Before meeting Goffin, Jaishankar visited a Jain temple in Antwerp and offered prayers. "An auspicious start to my EU-Belgium trip by a visit to the Jain Mandir at Antwerp," he tweeted.

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(with inputs from ANI)