Thank you all. Let me begin by appreciating the invitation, Minister Barrot, for the Weimar Format Meeting. And to Ministers Wadephul and Sikorski - let me thank you for the pleasure of your company, your time, your views. I think we had really short but very deep and very open discussions on a range of issues today. Before we did that, earlier in the afternoon, Minister Barrot and I spent some time discussing our bilateral relationship. France is our earliest Strategic Partner in Europe, and I think the quality of our ties is something very special. So we discussed our bilateral cooperation, global issues, we hope to welcome President Macron in India soon. So, I had a good day even before the Weimar format meeting.

Now, where India is concerned, this is the first time that we are engaging in this format, and our discussions were largely centred on three issues - India - European Union relations, the Indo - Pacific, and the Ukraine conflict. One context for doing so is the deepening engagement that we have with Europe. It is reflected in a collective endeavour with Brussels, but it is also sustained by individual European Union member states. As these conversations advance and cooperation deepens, it is natural that we have smaller group interactions that support this larger direction, and I think that is what we seek today.

A second context, is of course, a world that is under churn. We have been witnessing for quite some years now, that churn, in the Indo-Pacific. Europe is going through its own challenging circumstances, many of which have strategic implications. But beyond that, there have also been overarching developments that could redefine the global order itself. We may be located in different parts of the world but despite that, perhaps even because of that, it is extremely useful for us to exchange views regularly and to share assessments.

Among India's major relationships, I believe that the one with the European Union and Europe - and obviously with its member states - has the most room to grow today. We have tremendous unrealized potential and many new areas to explore. It is appropriate that this format which has brought us together has three very important European partners. My discussions today leave me confident that they will support that effort to take India-Europe ties to the next level.

At the end of the day, the world is moving in a multi-polar direction. Factors and events that make it more volatile and uncertain also make a very powerful argument for deeper collaboration among those who are like-minded, those who have convergence, and those who have shared views. That is the exercise that has brought us together. And let me conclude once again by thanking my colleagues for what was a very, very useful evening.

Paris
January 07, 2026