Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in New Delhi on April 1, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI
Ties with European countries will be high on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s travel agenda this summer as the European Parliament debates the ratification of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement announced in January this year.
Officials are finalizing dates for a five-nation Nordic summit with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as bilateral visits to the Netherlands that were canceled last year because of the Pahalgam attack. In addition, Mr. Modi will also travel to Évian-les-Bains in France for the G-7 summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on June 15-16, where he will meet US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada.
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While the impact of the war in West Asia on the global economy is expected to overshadow any meeting, officials said the visits are aimed at discussing trade and technology opportunities ahead of the implementation of an EU-India free trade agreement. On Wednesday, an 11-member EU parliamentary delegation concluded a three-day visit to Delhi where they met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. They also organized a meeting of the India-European Parliament Friendship Parliamentary Group. The delegation led by Member of the European Parliament (EP) Anjelika Nieblerová discussed speeding up the vote on the free trade agreement in the European Parliament. EU officials said they hoped the deal could be done within a year, increasing current levels of trade by about $140 billion.
“The India-EU Free Trade Agreement represents a defining milestone in our partnership, which is poised to open up new opportunities for businesses, SMEs and skilled professionals on both sides,” Mr Goyal said, describing his meeting with the delegation. “We discussed the possibilities of its timely implementation along with continued constructive engagement,” he added.
Foreign ministry officials are discussing the possibility of a Nordic summit in Oslo in May, as well as a bilateral visit by Mr. Modi to the Netherlands. Much will depend on the formation of a government in Denmark, they said, where Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s party fell short of a clear majority in last week’s election but talks on a coalition government are underway. In the Netherlands, Prime Minister Rob Jetten formed his government in February and officials confirmed they are now discussing a visit in May or June. After an initial call with Mr Modi on Monday, Mr Jetten said in a post that he looked forward to welcoming him to the Netherlands “soon” and continuing the strategic partnership in defence, water, innovation and trade. “Given what is happening in the world at the moment, now is the time to strengthen our cooperation,” he added.
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“(We) exchanged views on the situation in West Asia and emphasized the need for early restoration of peace and stability in the region,” Mr. Modi said in his post.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s summer plans, New Delhi intensified its engagement in European capitals this year. Mr Macron is one of several European leaders to visit Delhi this year, including European Presidents Ursula Von Der Leyen and Antonio Costa, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Mr. Jaishankar has already traveled to Europe four times in the last three months – to Brussels, Munich and twice to France for multilateral meetings and also met his EU counterpart Kaja Kallas several times on the sidelines.
Published – 01 Apr 2026 22:44 IST
