Being 'cold-shouldered' by the US, the EU seeks out its billion-people partner India, affirming that it has the same 'unique position' to respond to challenges

On February 28, President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union (EU) and India are moving towards a “security and defense partnership”.

European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on February 28. (Source: Atlantic Council)

According to German newspaper DW , Ms. Ursula von der Leyen arrived in India on February 27, starting a two-day visit with her delegation to seek to diversify her partnerships in the face of the risk of being shunned by the US, her traditional ally.

The EU delegation led by the EC President aims to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations with the world's fifth-largest economy after US President Donald Trump announced a series of tariffs on both friends and rivals, CNA news channel reported.

The EU also hopes to find common ground with India on concerns about China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific, building sustainable supply chains and governing new technologies including artificial intelligence.

Speaking at an event in the capital New Delhi, Ms von der Leyen said: "We are exploring a future security and defence partnership with India following the template we have established with Japan and South Korea."

This will help both sides "step up efforts to combat common threats, whether cross-border terrorism, threats to maritime security, cyber attacks or attacks on critical infrastructure," according to the EC President.

She believes that “the modern version of great power competition is an opportunity for Europe and India to reimagine their partnership. In many ways, the EU and India are uniquely positioned to meet this challenge together.”

Besides, EU-India cooperation can help provide each other with unique alternatives and tools to make ourselves stronger, safer and more sovereign in today's world.

According to Ms. von der Leyen, that is also why the EU and India have the potential to become one of the "defining partnerships of this century", which also explains why Europe considers it the cornerstone of its foreign policy in the coming years and decades.

Declaring that his visit to India opens a “new era” for bilateral relations, the EC President stressed: “It is time to take the EU-India strategic partnership to a new level. For our own security and prosperity. For the common global challenges we face. For the benefit of our respective regions and our partners around the world.”

The President of the European Commission noted that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, launched in New Delhi in 2023, is “a historic opportunity to realise this goal”.

The EU is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade set to reach $137.5 billion by 2023-24, nearly doubling in 10 years.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bi-my-lanh-nhat-eu-tim-den-doi-tac-ty-dan-an-do-khang-dinh-co-cung-vi-the-doc-nhat-de-ung-pho-thach-thuc-305928.html