Jaishankar, Luxembourg Dy PM Bettel discuss trade, investment ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said trade, investment and financial cooperation remain at the heart of India-Luxembourg ties, as he held bilateral talks with Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel in New Delhi.
According to agency reports,Bettel is on a three-day official visit to India from September 7 to 9, accompanied by Luxembourg’s Minister of Economy. The visit comes as the two countries seek to further deepen their growing partnership across multiple sectors.Welcoming Bettel, Jaishankar described India-Luxembourg relations as a “very trusted relationship” and said the two sides had made significant progress in recent years. He recalled his visit to Luxembourg earlier this year and expressed confidence that the latest discussions would help take bilateral cooperation forward.“In terms of our relationship, I think trade, investment, financial cooperation, that's at the heart of it,” Jaishankar said, while highlighting emerging areas of collaboration such as space, digital technologies and green technologies.
The External Affairs Minister also underlined the importance of health cooperation between the two countries, recalling the significant collaboration between India and Luxembourg during the COVID-19 pandemic.Jaishankar said the two sides were also focusing on supply chain resilience and diversification amid growing global uncertainties. He noted that cooperation with Europe was entering a new phase with the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement moving towards ratification.
Thanking Luxembourg for its strong support for the FTA, Jaishankar said its ratification would open “new horizons” for the India-Luxembourg partnership. He noted that the agreement had crossed an important milestone and was moving towards its entry into force.Bettel, in his remarks, said Luxembourg shares a trusted and honest relationship with India and noted that both sides had made considerable efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.He also thanked the Indian leadership for its role in promoting peace and building bridges between countries affected by conflicts.
The Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister arrived in New Delhi in the early hours of Monday. During his India visit, he is also scheduled to travel to Chennai, where he will participate in engagements at IIT Madras and attend the inauguration of a new SES campus.The meeting was also attended by MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George and India’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union, Pranay Verma.