Piyush Goyal Holds Talks with Luxembourg Minister Xavier Bettel on Strengthening Economic Relations

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held discussions with Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Xavier Bettel on Monday, with both sides focusing on ways to further strengthen economic cooperation between India and Luxembourg. During the meeting, the two leaders explored opportunities for greater collaboration in several emerging and strategic sectors, including logistics, artificial intelligence, digital technology, space, financial services and waste management.

Sharing details of the meeting on X, Goyal said he was pleased to meet Bettel and underlined the importance of expanding cooperation across these key areas. He also expressed confidence that closer engagement between the two countries could generate fresh opportunities for businesses in India and Luxembourg.

Bettel described the relationship between India and Luxembourg as one based on trust and mutual understanding. Speaking to ANI, he said the two countries had developed reliable and cordial ties and emphasised the importance of choosing strong friends and partners. Bettel also recalled his interactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as Luxembourg's Prime Minister from 2013 to 2023. He praised India's efficiency and said bilateral exchanges had remained positive, while noting that the two sides also discussed a range of international issues.

The Luxembourg leader made the remarks after meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Jaishankar highlighted the strength of India's partnership with Luxembourg, describing it as a highly trusted relationship with considerable scope for cooperation in areas such as supply-chain resilience and economic diversification.

The External Affairs Minister also welcomed Bettel's visit and acknowledged Luxembourg's support for the proposed India-European Union Free Trade Agreement. He said the engagement reflected the steady expansion of relations between the two countries. Bettel is visiting India on a three-day official trip from September 7 to September 9. His visit comes at a time when India and European countries are seeking to deepen trade, investment and technology partnerships, creating further scope for cooperation between New Delhi and Luxembourg.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from X/@PiyushGoyal.