Outcomes from EU delegation visit "reinforces commitment to strengthen partnership": PM Modi
New Delhi, January 27
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the outcomes of the visit of President of the European Council, Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen's visit reinforces the commitment to strengthen India-European Union partnership.
"These outcomes reinforce our commitment to further strengthening the partnership between India and the European Union," PM Modi posted on X.
India and the European Union on Tuesday signed 13 agreements and arrangements during the state visit of European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, covering trade, security, defence, mobility, clean energy, science, and disaster management.
The agreements were signed during the 16th India-EU Summit co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the List of Outcomes issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders welcomed the signing of the 'Towards 2030: A Joint India-European Union Comprehensive Strategic Agenda,' an overarching framework guiding the India-EU strategic partnership.
The visit also marked the conclusion of negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the largest trade deal in India's history, aimed at boosting economic and investment ties between the two sides.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Costa and von der Leyen paid a State Visit to India on 25-27 January as the Chief Guests for the 77th Republic Day of India. President Costa and President von der Leyen were accompanied by a high-level delegation, including High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Costa and von der Leyen, co-chaired the 16th India-EU Summit in Delhi on January 27 and underlined their commitment to raise the India-EU Strategic Partnership to a higher level based on shared values and principles including democracy, human rights, pluralism, rule of law, and the rules-based international order with the UN at its core.
They committed to tackling security threats, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth, strengthening economic resilience and security, advancing climate and biodiversity action, and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone working in the renewable energy sector, I'm particularly excited about the agreements on clean energy. Collaboration with European tech can really accelerate our green transition. Great to see this focus.
Hope this FTA actually benefits our small and medium businesses and farmers, not just big corporations. The details matter. We've seen trade deals before that looked good on paper but didn't help the common man much.
Having the EU leaders as chief guests for Republic Day and then signing these agreements sends a powerful message. It shows India's growing stature on the world stage. Jai Hind!
The defence and security cooperation part is interesting. In today's volatile world, strong partnerships based on rule of law are essential. Hope this leads to more technology sharing and joint development projects.
While the strategic partnership is welcome, I hope our government also ensures that the "shared values" like human rights and pluralism are genuinely upheld in all aspects of the relationship, not just in speeches. A respectful criticism from a concerned citizen.
13 agreements! That's a lot of groundwork. The mobility one could be great for students and professionals. Fingers crossed it makes visa processes smoother for genuine travellers.