New Delhi/Paris 08 January (H.S.): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted on Wednesday in Paris that India and Europe possess the collective heft to infuse stability into the international economy and geopolitical order, underscoring a deliberate pivot to elevate bilateral ties amid roiling global uncertainties exemplified by the United States' recent Venezuelan incursion.

Following substantive discussions with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Jaishankar highlighted Europe's pivotal role in shaping a multipolar world, announcing imminent high-profile visits to New Delhi by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Union luminaries.

This strategic outreach occurs against the backdrop of frayed Indo-US relations, precipitated by President Donald Trump's imposition of a 50 percent tariff on Indian exports.

Strategic Imperatives and Diplomatic Roadmap

Jaishankar framed the European engagement as a conscious choice reflective of burgeoning synergies across free trade agreements, semiconductors, railways, defence, and aviation sectors, positioning Indo-European collaboration as antidote to a destabilized global architecture. What kind of world do we want to live in? What would be the norms? he posited at a media briefing, advocating concerted action to recalibrate international norms with Europe as an indispensable interlocutor.

With India chairing BRICS and France presiding over the G7 in 2026—complemented by shared G20 stewardship—the duo pledged intensified consultations to foster multipolarity and mitigate volatility.

Macron Visit and Broader Consultations

Preparatory groundwork dominated the Paris parleys, priming Macron's forthcoming attendance at India's AI Summit next month, reinforcing France's status as India's inaugural European strategic partner since 1998. Jaishankar invoked the prevailing considerable global uncertainty—implicitly referencing the US Delta Force-CIA raid capturing Nicolás Maduro on January 3—to justify proximate strategizing among like-minded powers.

He heralded Merz's imminent arrival post-return, alongside a phalanx of continental leaders, as testament to the relationship's next level trajectory, capable of buttressing economic resilience and political equilibrium.

Navigating US Frictions and Global Realignment

The minister's continental foray tacitly counters Trump's protectionist salvoes, which have strained the Quad framework and prompted diversification of India's partnerships, even as India voiced measured concern over Venezuela sans outright approbation.

By nurturing Europe's heft in technology transfers and defence co-production—encompassing Rafale offsets and Airbus ecosystems—Jaishankar envisions a counterweight to unilateralism, ensuring India's voice resonates in recalibrating global governance amid Arctic rivalries, shadow fleet interdictions, and South Asian realignments like the Pakistan-Bangladesh JF-17 overtures. This calculus portends a more autonomous Indian foreign policy, harmonizing Eastern vibrancy with Western maturity.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar