New Delhi: India and the European Union are expected to hold their bilateral security and defense consultations in New Delhi in early May, with a new dialogue on space security and strengthening defense industry collaboration. according to people familiar with the matter.
During the first talks in 2022, the two sides discussed security issues related to the Indo-Pacific, Europe and India’s neighborhood.
“During the consultations, the two sides also discussed various ways to increase cooperation between India and the EU on maritime security, implementation of the European Code of Conduct on the export of arms to India’s neighborhood, cooperation in co-development and co-production of defense equipment, including India’s participation in PESCO,” the Indian mission in Brussels said in 2022. .
PESCO refers to the Permanent Organization for Economic and Security Cooperation of the EU, launched in 2017. The body was created to stimulate planning and cooperation between EU member states to improve military and security capabilities of the continent.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union has placed greater emphasis on the continent’s unpreparedness for a security crisis. Cooperation with the Indian defense industry, which has close defense ties with major European powers like France, could be an area of interest for both sides.
Growing cooperation
In recent years, security cooperation between the EU and India has grown significantly. In 2020, the EU and India published a joint roadmap until 2025, focused on strengthening military relations and cooperation on counter-piracy, peacekeeping, nuclear proliferation and disarmament. Both sides launched dialogues on maritime security and defense in addition to existing forums on cybersecurity and counter-terrorism. The EU has also appointed a defense attaché for its mission in New Delhi in November 2023.
In October 2023, India and the EU held their first joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Guinea.
The 27-nation alliance also launched a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening security cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The aim of the EU CRIMARIO initiative is to equip Indo-Pacific countries with better maritime domain awareness capabilities.
The EU-sponsored Strengthening Security in and with Asia (ESIWA) program strengthens collaboration in the areas of cybersecurity, maritime security and counter-terrorism. India and the EU are collaborating on this initiative.
“You will likely see an increase in EU security and defense cooperation with India and greater engagement in the Indo-Pacific region,” said the EU special envoy for Indo-Pacific, Richard Tibbels. Mint in a previous interview. This includes space security cooperation
“Cooperation on space security issues should certainly also be explored between India and the EU, as we both have important stakes in the space domain,” he added.
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