New Delhi: In the middle of the climbing of the trade war, American tariff threats and three years of the Russian-Ukraine war, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen accompanied by the college of commissioners is ready to visit India February 27 and 28.
The visit to India – one of the reliable EU partners – is considered significant for the moment as a geopolitical turmoil in Europe caused by Trump prices continues to loom. Experts are of the opinion that the EU and India need stable partnerships in a volatile world characterized by wars, the American-Chinese rivalry and of course, the second presidency of Trump, who, in a month, does not already reverses the world order and European security architecture. For Europe, this is an existential moment – the continent has witnessed its First War since the Second World War, and relations with the United States and China are under enormous tension.
In conversation with Etv Bharat, Shainee Malhotra, deputy director of the Orf strategic study program, said: “The fact that the European presidential commission Ursula von der Leyen goes to India as his first trip abroad in her New mandate and brings with his college of commissioners, since they rarely travel en masse, demonstrate the level of importance that the EU attaches to links with India. In its political guidelines for the new European Commission, Von Der Leyen had explicitly proposed a new EU-India strategic program while the EU-India 2025 roadmap manages its course. This visit will probably set the land for this program to follow by an EU-Indian summit later this year.
She pointed out that since the announcement of the visit of Von der Leyen in India to the World Economic Forum of Davos on January 21 after the inauguration of Trump, the transatlantic links have considerably weakened Arabia to negotiate the end of the war without the Ukrainians or Europeans in the room.
“In this context, the EU and India need stable partnerships in a volatile world characterized by wars, the American-Chinese rivalry and of course, the second presidency of Trump, who, only in one month already reverses world order and European security architecture. For Europe, this is an existential moment – the continent has witnessed its First War since the Second World War, and relations with the United States and China are under enormous tension. Consequently, Europe improves its awareness of democratic partners “ similar views ” such as India, to deepen the links on trade, supply chains, security and technology cooperation and hide against Larger global uncertainties, ”she added.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, it will be the third visit of President Ursula von der Leyen in India. She previously visited India for an official bilateral visit in April 2022 and to attend the Summit of G20 leaders in September 2023. Prime Minister and President Ursula Von Der Leyen also regularly gathered on the sidelines of multilateral meetings. This will be the very first visit to the college of EU commissioners in India and among the first visits of this type since the start of the mandate of the current European Commission in December 2024 after the European parliamentary elections held in June 2024.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold talks at the level of the delegation with President Ursula von der Leyen. The second ministerial meeting of the EU-EU Commerce and Technology Council and bilateral ministerial meetings between European commissioners and their Indian counterparts will also be held during the visit.
Malhotra also explained that the negotiations of the ALE (free trade agreement) were in full swing, and even if the differences persist on the EU CBAM and the new regulations on deforestation, trade will be a central objective in the light of the current restructuring of the world economic order.
The strengthening of defense and security cooperation will also be part of the agenda, because the EU is forced to recalibrate its approach to security and defense and take more responsibilities. EU-India’s links are at a positive time embodying stability in the midst of volatility, and this visit sends an important signal.
By asking her what role India plays in the broader EU strategy for global economic stability, in particular given tensions with the United States, it said: “The FTA becomes even more salient in the light American prices on European products and the general inclination to protectionism in several parts of the globe. On the other hand, India and Europe adopt new approaches more open to commercial transactions as evidenced by the agreements of India with Australia, the water and the EFTA block, and the EU FTA With Mercosur and Mexico. This would serve both the EU and the Indian diversification of economic partners and disintegration. ”
In addition, commenting on the visit, Amit Dasgupta, the former diplomat of India said: “The main objective is to lay the foundations for the next series of negotiations on the FTA India-EU, which should start in a dozen days. The EU always deals with the vice-president of Sharp Rebuke Vance to EU leaders at the Munich security conference and the humiliation of Washington organized a bilateral dialogue with Moscow less the EU and Ukraine. The way Elon Musk added to this was added in Germany’s domestic policy, weeks before the federal elections, approving AFD of the far right. For the EU, these are all unprecedented developments because he had, since the Second World War, led all his eggs in the Washington basket. Now he has to reclassify and, in fact, revise his Weltanschauung. It is time to reach out to other partners and India is a natural choice ”.
“Consequently, discussions are likely to go beyond the Ale. The president of the EU would have met President Zelensky before coming to India and the resolution of the Russian-Ukraine conflict would be increased. The European side will share its concerns with India and seek New Delhi’s support to find a just and sustainable solution. New Delhi will host large -scale discussions given its growing meaning on the world scene. At the same time, New Delhi is likely to be careful in his approach and not to display a counter-record of what Moscow and Washington have discussed in Saudi Arabia, “said the former diplomat.
On the question of how the American prices on European goods take into account the EU approach to strengthen its relations with India, Dasgupta said that threatening to raise prices and raise them is both a Bad idea because it triggers a retaliatory action and, therefore, a trade war. A hundred years ago, the United States did it precisely and this led to the great depression.
“This is dangerous terrain, and it is important to be aware that the world economy has not yet recovered from the economic slowdown triggered by the pandemic. India could certainly benefit from such a scenario And would be hungry to stimulate trade and investment. “, he Added.
It is relevant to note that as two largest democracies in the world, the European Union and India share a commitment to a global order based on rules, effective multilateralism and sustainable development. Since 2004, India has been an EU strategic partner and, in 2022, celebrated the 60th anniversary of their relationships.
The collaboration between the EU and India from 2020 to 2025 is led by the EU-India strategic partnership roadmap, the cooperation strategy in Indo-Pacific and the global gateway strategy. There are more than 50 EU-Indian sectoral dialogues.
The EU is the largest trading partner in India, with a trade in goods worth 124 billion euros in 2023, with an increase of almost 90% in the last decade. About 6,000 European companies are present in India, directly providing 1.7 million jobs and indirectly supporting 5 million jobs in various sectors. The new Federation of European Affairs in India (February) will help stimulate business links. The EU and India resumed negotiations on a free trade agreement in 2022 following the visit of President Von Der Leyen to New Delhi. The next round is scheduled for March 10 to 14, 2025 in Brussels, the European Commission, said New Delhi in a statement.
About The Author
