India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s engagements on the sidelines of the Sir Bani Yas Forum 2025 in Abu Dhabi underscore New Delhi’s increasingly confident and multi-directional diplomacy at a time of global uncertainty. By holding a series of bilateral interactions with European, Middle Eastern, and British leaders, India is reinforcing its position as a bridge between regions and a constructive stakeholder in global affairs.
The meeting with Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, along with discussions with senior leaders from Luxembourg, Poland, Latvia, the United Kingdom, and Egypt, highlights India’s deliberate effort to deepen ties with Europe and the Middle East simultaneously. These interactions reflect a clear strategy: engaging like-minded partners across continents on issues ranging from geopolitical stability to economic cooperation and multilateral coordination.
The Sir Bani Yas Forum, known for candid dialogue on global security and geopolitical transitions, provided a strategic platform for India to articulate its worldview. Jaishankar’s presence at the forum reinforces India’s preference for dialogue-driven diplomacy, particularly at a time when conflicts in Europe, West Asia, and other regions continue to reshape international alignments.
Equally significant is the broader context of Jaishankar’s UAE visit. His meetings with the UAE’s top leadership earlier this year reaffirmed the depth of the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has evolved beyond traditional trade and energy cooperation into areas such as defence, technology, food security, and people-to-people ties. The UAE’s growing role as a diplomatic convenor also aligns well with India’s interests in promoting regional stability and inclusive growth.
India’s sustained engagement with European ministers at Abu Dhabi signals a recognition of Europe’s strategic relevance amid shifting global power dynamics. With Europe reassessing its external partnerships, India is positioning itself as a reliable partner that values strategic autonomy while supporting a rules-based international order.
Overall, Jaishankar’s Sir Bani Yas diplomacy reflects India’s broader foreign policy approach: pragmatic, inclusive, and increasingly global in scope. As New Delhi continues to balance relations with the West, the Global South, and its extended neighbourhood, such high-level engagements reinforce India’s aspiration to play a larger role in shaping global conversations rather than merely responding to them.