EU's Kaja Kallas Arrives in India to Strengthen Strategic Partnership

Welcoming her, in a post on X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that her visit builds on the momentum of regular high-level engagements and comes at an opportune moment to strengthen the India-EU Strategic Partnership further.

"A warm welcome to EU HRVP @kajakallas on her first official visit to India as the EU High Representative/Vice-President. The visit comes at an opportune moment to further strengthen the India-EU Strategic Partnership, building on the momentum of regular high-level engagements", he wrote on X.

Speaking in the European Parliament on Thursday, Kaja Kallas EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said, "Europe is ready to deliver on a powerful new agenda with India. Today, the EU agreed to move forward with the signature of a new Security and Defence Partnership. It will expand our cooperation in areas such as maritime security, counterterrorism, and cyber defence. I look forward to signing it next week during the EU-India Summit in New Delhi."

The European Union and India will hold the 16th summit in New Delhi, where a new EU-India comprehensive strategic agenda is expected to be adopted.

Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Union is close to finalising a Free Trade Agreement with India and noted that some describe it as "the mother of all deals".

Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, she stressed Europe's intent to expand trade and international cooperation.

She also referred to the scale of the proposed trade deal with India."There is still work to do. But we are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement. Some call it the mother of all deals. One that would create a market of 2 billion people, accounting for almost a quarter of global GDP," von der Leyen said.

The President of the European Commission said she will travel to India next weekend. She said the visit is aimed at taking forward work on the proposed trade agreement and added that there is important work to be done to strengthen economic relations and deepen cooperation between Europe and India.

Placing the proposed India agreement in Europe's larger global trade approach, von der Leyen said Europe remains open to doing business with partners worldwide.

European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will pay a three-day State Visit to India from January 25 to 27 and will be Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations.

During the visit, the leaders will also co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit to be held on January 27. They will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

An India-EU Business Forum is also expected to be organised on the sidelines of the India-EU Summit. India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004. The 15th India-EU Summit was held virtually on July 15, 2020. The participation of EU leaders as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day and the 16th India-EU Summit will further deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas of mutual interest.

President Costa and President von der Leyen are visiting India on invitation of PM Modi. The visit of two leaders comes amid negotiations between India and the European Union for a Free Trade Agreement, which is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed at the time of the visit.

- ANI