At a time when New Delhi takes a step at a time to treat the American administration under President Donald Trump, the European Union announced “a new strategic program to increase bilateral relations with India to a higher level”. This includes a range of trade and technology fields in defense, security, connectivity and climate change.
Announcing the initiative, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “It is now time to double the partnerships anchored in common interests and guided by common values. With our new EU-India strategy, we put our relationship to the next level. ” Previously, the European Commission and its high representative Kaja Kallas, who is the first diplomat, leading the EU foreign policy, adopted a joint communication describing the “new EU-Indian strategic program”.
Kallas, however, said that the College of Commissioners (members of the 27 EU countries) hesitated to the areas where they have disagreements. “India’s participation in Russian military exercises and its purchase of Russian oil behaves narrower,” she said. The European Union has also reported this issue with India in the past.
President Von Der Leyen also said that the EU was determined to finalize a free trade agreement by the end of the year. She has said that Europe is already the largest trading partner in India, is open for business and ready to invest in the common future with India. “The free trade agreement with India will be the largest contract of its kind all over the world,” she said.
“The day we launched our new EU-Indian strategy, I had the pleasure of wishing @narendramod a very happy birthday,” she later posted on the X social media platform. “I can’t wait to visit India again for our next summit. Together, we open a new chapter in our partnership. We have also discussed progress in our current commercial talk and said that we can work together to effectively support Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, “said in the position.
Modi thanked her for birthday greetings. “Delighted to know the” new EU-India strategic program “adopted today. India is ready to take the India-EU relationship at the higher level. It is our shared commitment, our common objective and our shared responsibility. We remain attached to an early and peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict,” he said on X.
In addition, the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement that the two leaders “had welcomed the efforts to further strengthen the EU-EU strategic partnership for mutual prosperity, as well as to jointly solve global problems, promote stability and promote an order based on rules”. “India remains committed to an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine,” he said.
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Prime Minister Modi has also reiterated his invitation to the next India-UE summit to be held in India next year, he said.
The joint communication adopted by the EC occurs from months after the visit of the College of Commissioners in India in February of this year, and describes the EU strategic vision to improve cooperation with New Delhi. He identified five areas of common interest and complementary forces, based on existing links while attacking the areas that have increased commitment potential.
“In the midst of the geopolitical realities that change, the closer relations of the EU-India are increasingly essential to strengthen economic economic growth and security, and the diversification of supply chains in response to the uncertain global order today. Beyond the bilateral dimension, the new strategic program highlights the global influence of the EU-India on global issues and with third parties, reflecting the growing global influence of India, “he said.
He said that there was “significant potential in trade and investment, describing strategies to strengthen trade links, in particular the finalization of current negotiations on a free trade agreement”. He proposed to “strengthen supply channels while promoting critical emerging technologies and commitment to digital issues, with particular attention to strengthening economic security within the Commerce and Technology Council (TTC). This new strategy also proposes to deepen technological cooperation, including a potential EU-India start-up partnership, and invites India to join the Horizon Europe program.
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Joint communication also advances the EU-Indian security and defense partnership project. This will improve strategic consultations and joint initiatives, in particular on crisis management, maritime security, cyberfense and counterterrorism, and promote industrial defense cooperation, focusing on improving production and technological capacities, obtaining supply chains and the conduct of innovation.
“The launch of negotiations for an information security agreement to facilitate the exchange of classified information will support the security and more close defense cooperation. Closer cooperation on Indo-Pacific, approach hybrid threats, spatial security and the intensification of Russian war on Ukraine, ghost fleets and sanctions are other areas of development, “he said.
Mutual advantage
The EU considers India, the great economy with the fastest growth in the world, as a vital partner. The EU document hosts the rise of India as a global power, which creates new opportunities for strategic cooperation. The success of India benefits the EU, as is the success of the EU benefits India.
Joint communication has also emphasized the strengthening of regional connectivity initiatives, such as the East-Europe Economic Corridor India-Middle (IMEC) and AVANT Global Gateway and UE-India Trilateral Cooperation with and in third countries. It aims to improve cooperation with India in multilateral forums and to encourage India to advance international law, multilateral values and global governance. It also favors the maximization of interaction and strengthening the coordination of the EU-India at all levels. This includes “the mobility of skills with the European Legal Gateway Office Pilot to facilitate the mobility of the workforce”.
It proposes to develop a complete mobility cooperation framework covering study, work and research. In addition to more in-depth commitment with civil society, young people and reflection groups, the community of companies is supported by the proposal of an EU-Indian commercial forum.
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“India is one of the most important actors in the world today and a natural partner for the European Union. There are many areas where our interests, forces and our policies will align. Aliorify our collaboration – which we offer today – will benefit the security and prosperity of citizens and businesses on both sides. There are areas where we will undress.
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