Brussels, Feb 26 (IANS) As the top European Union (EU) leadership is set to visit India on Thursday, discussions related to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the European Union Trade and Technology Council, the stronger role of India in the Indo-Pacific, are to be discussed.
Ahead of the visit, EU President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a new strategic agenda with India. The EU will be looking to expand its circle of key partners, against a backdrop of uncertainty over transatlantic relations.
The EU President, accompanied by the European Union College of Commissioners, will be on a visit to India from February 27 to February 28. This will be the first-ever visit of the EU College of Commissioners together to India.
During the visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold delegation-level talks with the EU President, according to the Ministry of External Affairs report.
The second ministerial meeting of the India–European Union (EU) Trade and Technology Council and bilateral ministerial meetings between the European Commissioners and their Indian counterparts will also be held during the visit, the MEA stated.
The unprecedented visit, one of the first by the EU College of Commissioners early in the new mandate, highlights the strong momentum in EU-India relations, the MEA statement added.
The visit follows President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement of a new strategic agenda with India to be presented this year at the EU-India Summit. The visit emphasises the importance of strengthening ties in key areas vital to the prosperity and security of both Europe and India.
Earlier, the EU President had said, “In this era of intense geostrategic competition, Europe stands for openness, partnership, and outreach. We seek to deepen ties with one of our most trusted friends and allies — India.”
“Europe and India are like-minded partners, bound by the shared conviction that democracy best serves the people. That’s why one of the first visits of the new Commission is to India. We are committed to strengthening our strategic partnership to advance trade, economic security, and resilient supply chains, along with a common tech agenda and reinforced security and defence cooperation,” she added.
As the world’s two largest democracies, the EU and India are united in their commitment to a rules-based global order, effective multilateralism, and sustainable development.
The collaboration between the EU and India from 2020 to 2025 is steered by the EU-India Strategic Partnership Roadmap, the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and the Global Gateway Strategy, according to a report by the European Commission.
India and the EU have been strategic partners since 2004 and their bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas.
As the two sides enter the third decade of the strategic partnership, the visit of President von der Leyen and the EU College of Commissioners will pave the way for further strengthening of bilateral relations based on growing convergences, according to the MEA.
–IANS
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