VOIWORLD/Ashwathy R
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar opened his European tour in the Netherlands on Monday with a series of high-level talks focused on security and defence collaboration.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said he was “pleased to meet” Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans in The Hague, adding that the two “exchanged views on our respective security perspectives and challenges” and discussed the benefits of a bilaterial defence partnership.
Later in the day, the minister called on Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp. Jaishankar thanked the Netherlands for its “strong condemnation” of the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir and for supporting a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism. The two ministers also reviewed ways to deepen the India–Netherlands partnership and widen cooperation with the European Union.
During the visit, Jaishankar met strategic experts in The Hague, posting that they explored “why India and the Netherlands/EU should engage more deeply in an era of multi-polarity and strategic autonomy.”
The minister also interacted with members of the sizeable Indian community in the Netherlands, noting their role in building “a stronger relationship between the two nations.”
According to a Ministry of External Affairs statement, Jaishankar’s stop in the Netherlands is part of a 19–24 May swing through Denmark and Germany as well. The itinerary includes meetings with the leadership of all three countries and discussions that cover the “entire gamut of bilateral relations” along with regional and global issues of shared interest.
The talks in The Hague underline New Delhi’s push to broaden security ties and defence industrial cooperation with European partners while rallying support against terrorism on the global stage.
