Energy, defence and trade on agenda as FS Misri heads to Europe amid West Asia crisis

NEW DELHI (TIP): Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will undertake a three-day visit to Paris and Berlin beginning Sunday for high-level talks on energy, trade and defence sectors that have become increasingly critical amid a fractured geopolitical landscape. Misri’s visit to France and Germany comes at the end of his trip to the US, where he met Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a number of other senior officials of the Trump administration. The West Asia crisis and its impact on energy security are expected to figure prominently in Misri’s talks with the interlocutors in Paris and Berlin. In Paris, the foreign secretary will co-chair the India-France Foreign Office Consultations along with Martin Briens, the secretary general of the French Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Saturday. Both Misri and Briens will discuss a wide range of issues, including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital, artificial intelligence and initiatives fostering people-to-people exchanges in addition to the latest global and regional developments, it said. In Berlin, the foreign secretary will co-chair the India-Germany Foreign Office Consultations alongside Géza Andreas von Geyr, the state secretary of the German Foreign Office, the MEA said. The discussions would cover diverse domains of bilateral cooperation, including trade and investments, defence and security, technology, green energy, development cooperation, education and people-to-people ties, as well as global and regional matters of mutual interest, it said. Misri is also expected to meet other dignitaries and senior government officials in both Paris and Berlin. The foreign secretary’s trip follows the visits of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron to India in January and February, respectively. Earlier, Misri held a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his ongoing visit to Washington. The meeting took place at the White House and focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation across key sectors. Both sides reviewed the India-US partnership with emphasis on trade, critical minerals, defence cooperation, and the Quad framework. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who was present during the meeting, said on a social media platform that the discussions were constructive and forward-looking. He also said that Secretary Rubio is expected to visit India next month.