The upcoming visit to New Delhi by the European Union (EU) leadership will highlight the importance of strengthening ties in key areas “vital to the prosperity and security of both Europe and India”.
According to a new EU statement, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen will lead an EU delegation to India from February 27-28 to strengthen trade, economic security and defense cooperation amid geopolitical turmoil in Europe caused by the policies of US President Donald Trump.
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| European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the first visit of the entire Commission to a third country will be to India. (Source: EC) |
A rare visit
The trip by Ms Von der Leyen and the EU commissioners - the political leaders of the 27-member bloc - is one of the first foreign trips by the European Commission since its election last year. The Hindustan Times described the visit as "unprecedented" as it is rare for the entire bloc's leadership to visit any foreign country together, thus highlighting the strong momentum in EU-India relations.
Europe stands for openness, partnership and expansion in an era of intense geostrategic competition and seeks to deepen ties with India, “one of our most trusted friends and allies,” Ms. Von der Leyen said.
Describing the two sides as like-minded partners united by “a shared belief that democracy best serves its people”, the EC President added: “We are committed to strengthening our strategic partnership to promote trade, economic security and sustainable supply chains, along with a common technological agenda and enhanced security and defence cooperation.”
The EU-India strategic partnership is “very important” for New Delhi, according to Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.
“We look forward to this particular dialogue taking place at a high level so that we can further strengthen the India-EU partnership,” he said. The two sides are expected to discuss “all aspects of the relationship,” including trade and technology issues.
| "The EU is keen to develop relations with India, a country whose market and economic growth represent a valuable opportunity for European companies, especially in the green technology sector." (EU journalist Emanuele Bonini, posted on EU News ) |
In addition to the bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EC President Von der Leyen will co-chair a meeting between the Indian government and the EU delegation. Council members will also meet separately with their Indian counterparts.
The India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is scheduled to hold its second meeting, with the EU represented by EC Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Commissioners Maroš Šefčovič and Ekaterina Zaharieva.
The TTC aims to promote cooperation on digital transformation, green technology and trade and investment. The EU said that among the issues discussed are cooperation on digital public infrastructure and interoperability, resilience of key value chains and cooperation on global trade issues.
| “A first and important visit speaks for itself of the importance that both the EU and India attach to taking their strategic partnership to the next level,” (EU Ambassador to India Herve Delphin shared on X Network) |
The right time
The EU leader's visit comes at a time when the bloc's 27 members are being forced to consider a more independent approach to defense and security following US President Donald Trump's repeated attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and claiming that the conflict in Ukraine was not initiated by Russia.
European countries are also concerned about the White House boss's overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin and efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict without involving Ukraine.
“It is clear that any agreement that is made behind our backs will not be valid. Europe and Ukraine must be part of those agreements,” Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told reporters on the sidelines of a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on February 13.
The visit follows Von der Leyen’s announcement of a new strategic agenda for India that will be presented at the EU-India Summit later this year. As the world’s two largest democracies, the EU and India “share a commitment to a rules-based global order, effective multilateralism and sustainable development.”
Such a packed agenda "reflects the desire to prevent new trade tensions and a changing world order," said EU journalist Emanuele Bonini, who is based in Brussels.
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| The next round of FTA negotiations between India and the EU is scheduled to take place in Brussels next month. (Source: KNN) |
In fact, the EU is India’s largest trading partner, with trade in goods reaching €124 billion by 2023, marking a nearly 90% increase over the past decade. Around 6,000 European companies are present in India, directly providing 1.7 million jobs.
The two sides have resumed talks on a free trade agreement in 2022 and the next round of talks is scheduled to be held in Brussels between March 10-14.
Many expectations are being raised for the “unprecedented” visit of the EU leaders to the country of the Ganges. Of course, as journalist Emanuele Bonini said, it is impossible not to underestimate the geopolitical game that India is playing. New Delhi’s goal is to “place itself at the center of the global balance of power” between the US and its allies, Russia and China, while demonstrating its role as representative and leader of the Southern Hemisphere. This is something that EU politicians cannot ignore.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/soc-nang-sau-tuyen-bo-cua-tong-thong-donald-trump-eu-tim-den-dong-minh-dang-tin-cay-nay-305213.html
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