EAM Jaishankar inaugurates new Indian Consulate in Belfast, Northern Ireland

The minister highlighted Northern Ireland’s rich economic history, renowned for its shipbuilding legacy and the presence of numerous Indian IT companies in the region

On Friday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar inaugurated a new Consulate General of India in Belfast, Northern Ireland, aimed at supporting the growing Indian community in the area.

At the opening of the newest Indian Consulate, the External Affairs Minister told community leaders and dignitaries that the move underscores the deepening of India-UK bilateral ties and acknowledges the Indian diaspora’s contributions.

Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, a devolved part of the United Kingdom, has an Indian heritage community of about 10,000, based on the last official census.

“We saw in Belfast a meeting place, in many ways, between our UK policy and our European policies,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

“We could see that this (region) had privileged access to both. Interestingly, we were negotiating free trade agreements with both the UK and the EU in parallel, which we hope to conclude at an early date,” he said.

The minister highlighted Northern Ireland’s rich economic history, renowned for its shipbuilding legacy and the presence of numerous Indian IT companies in the region.

“We do see the economic potential. But at the same time, we do want it to be very much at the service of the Indian community. We take pride, as the prime minister often says, as a government that has given great priority to the importance of the diaspora, to the contribution of the diaspora,” he said.

"We try to express that appreciation in a variety of ways, including by making services easier, by providing support in many ways and I’m very confident that is what this Consulate will do,” he added.

The opening ceremony was followed by some political engagements with the devolved administration, including meetings with deputy first minister of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelley and junior minister Aisling Reilly.

“Thanked them for all the support in setting up our Consulate. Discussed possibilities for deepening India’s engagement with Northern Ireland, especially in skills, Cyber, Tech, creative industries and manufacturing,” Jaishankar posted on X.

In a separate post, he stated that the Consulate will serve the needs of the Indian community, while also exploring further cooperation in trade, technology, business and education.

The minister is scheduled to open a second Consulate General of India in Manchester on Saturday, as he wraps up his week-long visit to the UK and Ireland.