External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets Netherlands Foreign Affairs Minister, Caspar Veldkamp, in Hague on May 19, 2025
| Photo Credit: ANI

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday (May 19, 2025) met his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp and held wide-ranging discussions on deepening bilateral partnership and engagement with the European Union.

Mr. Jaishankar, who is in The Hague on the first leg of his three-nation trip that will also take him to Denmark and Germany, appreciated the Netherlands’ strong condemnation of the Pahalgam attack and support for zero tolerance against terrorism.

It is Mr. Jaishankar’s first foreign visit after the four-day-long military confrontation between Indian and Pakistani armed forces.

“Thank FM Caspar Veldkamp @ministerBZ of the Netherlands for hosting me today in The Hague. Appreciate Netherlands’ strong condemnation of the Pahalgam attack. And support for zero tolerance against terrorism. Had wide-ranging discussions on deepening our bilateral partnership and engagement with the EU. Exchanged views on the global situation in an era of multi-polarity,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.

The minister also met Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans and exchanged views on respective security perspectives and challenges.

“Pleased to meet Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans in The Hague today. Exchanged views on our respective security perspectives and challenges. Also spoke about the benefits of forging a bilateral defence partnership,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

Earlier in the morning, Mr. Jaishankar said a “good exchange” of views with strategic experts during which they also discussed why India and the Netherlands/EU should engage more deeply in an era of multi-polarity and strategic autonomy.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in the Hague said the minister’s visit will further boost India-Netherlands ties.

During his visit, Mr. Jaishankar will meet the leadership of the three countries and hold discussions with his counterparts on the entire gamut of bilateral relations and regional and global matters of mutual interest.

It is expected that Mr. Jaishankar will apprise his counterparts in the three nations about India’s decision to launch Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack.

India carried out precision strikes under ‘Operation Sindoor’ on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian forces launched a fierce counter-attack on several Pakistani military installations.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.