In Brussels, Jaishankar discusses Iran with EU counterparts

On the second day of his Brussels visit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and had discussions, including about the situation in West Asia and Ukraine. Mr. Jaishankar was invited to interact with Foreign Ministers from the 27-member bloc, during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday (March 16, 2026), as per a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

“We also discussed developments in the Middle East and in Ukraine. De-escalation, stability and energy security are our shared objectives,” Ms. Von der Leyen said in a post on X, about her meeting with Mr. Jaishankar. The EU and India were focused on implementing the trade deal signed in January in New Delhi, “as soon as possible”, she said.

Thanking the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas for inviting him to the Foreign Affairs Council, Mr. Jaishankar said, “Our conversation today therefore covered trade, investment, technology, mobility and defence in particular.”

“The stronger convergence between India and the EU in a multipolar world is also expressed in closer consultations,” he added, saying West Asia, Ukraine and the Indo Pacific were discussed at the meeting. On Sunday (March 15, 2026), Mr. Jaishankar publicly thanked Armenia for the safe evacuation of 550 Indian nationals from Iran.

Ahead of the meeting, Ms. Kallas had outlined various options the EU was considering to open the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial body of water through which a quarter of the world’s oil passes. The Strait has effectively remained sealed off by Iran since Israel and the U.S. launched strikes against the country on February 28.

Different relationship

Mr. Jaishankar had said that India would be happy to share what New Delhi was doing with Tehran, with European countries, although he acknowledged that every country had a different relationship with Iran. He had also said there was no quid pro quo involved with Iran permitting the passage of two Indian-flagged tankers carrying LPG crossing the Strait on Saturday, saying this was based on a “history of dealing” with each other. Calling the conflict “most unfortunate”, Mr. Jaishankar called for other countries to engage with Tehran. The Minister had also emphasised that India did not have a “blanket arrangement” with Tehran for safe passage of ships, but it was being arranged on a case-by-case basis and discussions were ongoing.

Mr. Jaishankar met with Cyprus’s  Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on Sunday and discussed ways to strengthen India’s strategic partnership with the country. They also exchanged views on West Asia; Cyprus currently holds the six-month rotating Presidency of the EU Council, a body made up of the 27 member-states of the bloc.

Earlier, Mr. Jaishankar met with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot. They agreed to establish India-Belgium strategic dialogue, according to the Minister.