While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the president of the European Commission visiting Ursula von der Leyen will seek to increase the ongoing efforts for a India-EU free trade agreement (ALE), the two parties are also likely to discuss the means to formalize defense and security cooperation in Indo-Pacific. This is particularly interesting for India because it encourages the EU to get more involved in the region, in favor of freedom, transparency and an order based on rules.
While the head of the EU landed Thursday, describing India as a friend and a strategic ally, government sources here declared that the visit was in preparation in the last 6 months, or since the two leaders were re-elected last year, and had nothing to do with the EU-stretched alliance with the United States under President Donald Trump. During his third visit to India, Von Der Leyen was accompanied by the college of EU commissioners.
According to Indian authorities, the visit will see significant progress in efforts to increase cooperation in fields such as technology, in particular AI, green energy, space and defense, even if no major agreement is signed after the meeting which will be followed by a joint declaration. Modi’s commitment with Von Der Leyen and the second meeting of the India-Ue Commerce and Technology Council during the visit should open the way to the summit of India-EU later this year.
Before the talks, official sources here said that the EU is interested in defense cooperation with India in Indo-Pacific and that the 2 parties have so far had “informal coordination” between their forces. “We may have discussions to formalize this cooperation,” said a government source, speaking on condition of anonymity. The EU adopted a Indo-Pacific strategy In 2021, and has since worked to improve its commitment with countries sharing the same ideas in the region, but it is often considered to be lacking in coherence.
However, in 2023, he appointed a military advisor to India for the first time. According to the Indian government, Indian and the EU strengthen their cooperation in defense in the context of the EU improvement cooperation program in the security program in and with Asia (ESIWA) and it should be presented to further discussions on Friday. They also carried out a joint naval exercise in the past, as in the Gulf of Guinea in 2023
In an interview with you before his arrival, Von Der Leyen asked for a strengthening of the Cooperation of the Defense and EU security with India, claiming that he will work with India and other countries to maintain order based on the rules in the region. While discussing the emphasis put by Europe on Ukraine, the Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar has repeatedly accused the West of looking in the other direction when the same order was under stress in Indo-Pacific.
Modi and Von Der Leyen will also discuss recent developments linked to Ukraine, in particular Trump talks with Russia to end the war in which it was not involved in Europe or Ukraine. The EU leader should engage India on the issue, while Briefing Modi about his visit to kyiv this week, Indian officials have reiterated the position of India: the two parties must resort to dialogue and diplomacy because no solution can be found on the battlefield.
Friday, the 2 parties will have a plenary session which will be chaired by Von Der Leyen and Modi, while the members of the college will also meet their counterparts individually. According to the EU, India is its largest trading partner, with a trade in goods worth 124 billion euros in 2023.
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