External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar concludes his first 6-days long foreign visit post Operation Sindoor to Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.
The visit aimed to brief European countries on Operation Sindoor and subsequent developments. It served as an opportunity to showcase India’s efforts in counter-terrorism and highlighting Pakistan’s role in supporting cross-border terror and building international support for India’s stance on terrorism. This visit was crucial in terms of strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation when India is facing serious security challenges. Moreover, India showed that it remains committed to international diplomacy and peaceful dialogue even when it is facing military tensions.
While the trip to Germany had been scheduled in advance, the visits to the Netherlands and Denmark were later added to highlight this important issue. Beyond these security-related discussions, the tour also had strategic aims, including fostering cooperation on green transitions, trade, innovation, and renewable energy.
The Netherlands
The first visit in Dr. Jaishankar’s 6-days long tour was The Netherlands, from May 19th to May 20th, where both nations sought to strengthen their diplomatic and strategic partnership. Dr. Jaishankar met several senior leaders of the Netherlands, including Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, and Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans. Their discussions majorly focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, agriculture, and security.
The discussions were centred around strengthening strategic relationship where both sides acknowledged to the growing regional and global challenges and agreed to conduct regular high-level exchanges to address them. The ministers also reviewed ongoing collaborations and explored new domains like digital technology, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and green hydrogen for future cooperation. Beyond meetings with senior leaders, Dr. Jaishankar also engaged with strategic experts from various international think tanks. These discussions emphasised the importance of partnerships in a multipolar world and explored how the European Union (EU) and India can pursue strategic autonomy together.
EAM also appreciated the statement of solidarity from the Netherlands during India’s fight against terrorism. In an interview with a media outlet in the Netherlands, Dr. Jaishankar raised some key issues related to terrorism. He asserted that Pakistan will continue to support terrorism and warned that there would be consequences. He further emphasised that Pakistan’s claim that India illegally occupies Jammu and Kashmir cannot be used as a justification for terror attacks. He also mentioned that India also firmly rejects the intervention of any third party in mediation.
Netherlands is one of the key trading partners of India and also one of the top partners within EU. In terms of export destination, Netherlands is the 3rd largest country to receive Indian exports, also acting as a gateway to Europe with its major ports like Rotterdam. Furthermore, Netherlands is one of the top foreign investors in India contributing significantly to India’s Foreign Direct Investment. Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s visit in 2023 highlighted Netherland’s willingness to increase Dutch involvement in the semiconductor industry of India. Moreover, India and Netherlands are planning to sign a MoU on semiconductors. “India is a safe place for production of Semiconductors and critical technology”, said Netherlands Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp in a media briefing. India-Netherlands partnership is critical to India’s plan to achieve and acquire expertise in semiconductor technology.
Denmark
Following Dr. Jaishankar’s strategic meetings in the Netherlands, he visited Denmark from May 20th to May 21st. Here, Dr. Jaishankar met top leaders of the country like Prime Minister H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen, Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Speaker of the Danish Parliament H.E. Mr. Søren Gade and Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs H.E. Mr. Morten Bødskov.
The primary discussions in Denmark was on the developments in the Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The ministers acknowledged the mutual interests in regional and international developments where EAM also appreciated Denmark’s solidarity and support against terrorism. The ministers also reviewed the scope of the bilateral relations and decided to maintain close relations. Maintaining good relations with Denmark is crucial for India as Denmark will hold the presidency of the EU council in the second half of the year 2025, where India can have the opportunity to promote Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with EU. EAM further discussed the ways to enhance trade and investments and new domains to cooperate like renewable energy, shipping, health and other green sectors.
India’s Green Strategic Partnership with Denmark is important as it aligns with India’s target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 and other developmental goals. Denmark is about to lead the global green transition and holds the potential to be India’s vital partner and enabler for providing guidance and expertise in accelerating nation’s green transformation. India faces significant challenges like fossil fuel dependence, regulatory uncertainties and infrastructural hurdles where Denmark’s expertise in offshore wind, grid modernisation and renewable manufacturing can provide major assistance.
Germany
EAM’s visit to Germany came at a crucial period where India and Germany completed 25 years of their strategic partnership. Dr. Jaishankar met Germany’s senior leaders from May 22nd to May 24th. This visit marked the renewed commitment of partnership across various sectors after new government formation in Germany. The senior leaders included Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany Mr. Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Ms. Katherina Reiche and Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to Federal Chancellor Dr. Günter Sautter.
The leaders discussed economic, security and political aspects of the partnership. They reviewed bilateral cooperation and talked through expanding the collaboration in defence, digital technologies, AI, green and sustainable development and talent mobility. To strengthen the security collaboration, they discussed the scope of expanding cooperation in areas like cyber security, Indo-Pacific and defence industries. In terms of economy, discussions focused on ways to enhance investments and India-EU trade. EAM also interacted with the German parliamentarians on global and regional developments. Dr. Jaishankar also engaged with strategic leaders and experts on foreign and security policy which helped in understanding different perspectives and strengthen diplomatic strategy.
Germany also showed its solidarity and support to India in its fight against terrorism. EAM addressed a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul where he reiterated that India has zero tolerance for terrorism and will take strict actions against it. He also mentioned that India will not give in to any threats or ‘nuclear blackmail’ from Pakistan. He appreciated that Germany understands and supports every nation’s right to defend itself against terrorism.
In the defence sector, modernising military equipment is a crucial priority for India, which traditionally relied on Russia for its defence needs. In this context, Germany can serve as an alternative partner for defence cooperation, making India-Germany defence partnership highly significant. For Germany, as it increases its defence expenditure and prioritises local procurement, India emerges as a reliable and promising market for German defence equipment. Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to India in 2023 highlighted nation’s willingness to have defence deals, followed by signing of a MoU between German and Indian companies for the construction of 6 submarines.
India and Germany share interests in the area of cybersecurity. India with its tech power and a large digital economy and Germany with its expertise in data protection and technology can collaborate to develop various aspects related to cybersecurity norms. Platforms like the Digital Dialogue enables regular exchange of views between government and non-government actors on topics like 5G infrastructure, semiconductor production and digital public infrastructure.
Conclusion
The partnership between India and European countries is gaining prominence in the current geopolitical landscape. This collaboration offers mutual benefits, including economic growth, political cooperation, and achieving climate change goals. There is a growing recognition among European capitals that their dependencies should diversify beyond China, positioning India as an appealing and viable partner. For India, Europe represents a wealth of opportunities in trade, investment, and technological cooperation.
The priority of this landmark visit remained to make the international community aware of India’s unwavering stance against terrorism. EAM’s dialogues underscored that India will not succumb to any threats or external pressures, firmly rejecting third-party mediation in bilateral issues. At the same time, the visit was an important step in strengthening India’s strategic and economic ties with key European partners. In a time of geopolitical uncertainties, partnerships between India and Europe present a compelling alternative and a means to promote mutual growth and stability. The visit also paved the way for exploring new areas of cooperation in trade, green energy, digital technologies, semiconductor production, defence, and strategic dialogue, highlighting the shared vision for a secure and prosperous future.
