German foreign minister to meet India's Goyal, NATO's Rutte after postponing China trip

Reuters
Reuters

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will travel to Brussels on Monday for meetings with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal, and other senior policymakers, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry confirmed.

The visit follows Wadephul’s decision to postpone a planned trip to China, originally scheduled for Sunday, after Beijing confirmed only one of his requested meetings — a move widely seen as reflecting growing tension between Berlin and Beijing over trade and security.

In Brussels, Wadephul is also expected to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, according to the spokesperson.

Discussions will focus on continued support for Ukraine, as well as strengthening European security and defence cooperation within the EU and NATO frameworks. Another major topic will be international trade, including efforts to secure a stable supply of key raw materials such as rare earths and computer chips, both of which have faced global bottlenecks.

India’s Trade Minister Piyush Goyal, who is in Brussels for trade policy talks, will also meet Wadephul. The EU and India are aiming to finalise a free trade agreement by the end of the year.

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