EU says ties with India showing another way to fractured world

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi’s discussions with EU leaders this week will herald a new chapter in bilateral ties, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said as he welcomed European Council and Commission presidents, Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen respectively, in a meeting. The leaders, who were treated to a ceremonial welcome Sunday shortly after Costa’s arrival, will attend the January 26 Republic Day parade as chief guests, ahead of the 16th EU-India summit on Tuesday. The summit takes place at a time Europe’s transatlantic alliance is under strain and India too is in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s trade policies. Shortly after the welcome ceremony, von der Leyen said in a post on X India and Europe had made a clear choice – the choice of strategic partnership, dialogue and openness. “Leveraging our complementary strengths. And building mutual resilience. We are showing a fractured world that another way is possible,” said the president. The summit will see four major outcomes – successful conclusion of the FTA negotiations although the deal itself would be signed later, signing of a security and defence partnership that von der Leyen in an interview to TOI described as a likely game-changer, an agreement to promote mobility and adoption of a 2026-2030 joint comprehensive strategic agenda. Jaishankar later also met his counterpart Kaja Kallas and said the talks reflected growing comfort and strong convergences. According to senior EU officials accompanying the leaders, both sides were closing in on the conclusion of the trade talks that would result in the “mother of all deals”. Von der Leyen had told TOI ahead of her arrival EU was committed to finding workable, mutually beneficial solutions on issues such as CBAM (EU carbon border tax), automobiles, and steel. According to Brussels, the new strategic agenda will look to ramp up cooperation across 4 key pillars - prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence and connectivity and global issues. Under the new security and defence partnership, which the EU has so far signed with only 8 “trusted and like-minded countries, both sides will also announce the launch of negotiations for a Security of Information Agreement that would facilitate the exchange of classified information. Von der Leyen, however, also told TOI while the partnership will help diversify military supply chains and improve access to new capabilities, EU member-states will retain their authority on export of high-end technology. “The export of high-end defence technology is, and will remain, a national competence,” she had said. The partnership will allow both sides to eplore defence industrial collaboration and facilitate India’s participation in EU security and defence initiatives in line with EU Treaty-based frameworks. With the new mobility agreement, EU is also hoping to attract more highly skilled professionals, researchers and students to Europe, while blocking illegal migration. In all, 8-10 agreements are expected to be signed at the summit. The ministry of external affairs called India-EU relations a partnership of trust and reliability. The strategic agenda along with a joint statement will reaffirm both sides’ commitment to effective multilateralism and a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders will also discuss the need to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end and the situation in West Asia. EU leaders are likely to urge Modi to provide more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.