The European Union (EU) and India agreed on Monday to set up a trade and technology council to step up cooperation as the bloc’s chief held addresses with officers in New Delhi who have seen a flurry of top visits since the launch of the Ukraine war.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is on a two-day trip to India’s capital, part of Western sweats to encourage New Delhi to reduce ties to Russia, its main munitions supplier, following Moscow’s irruption of Ukraine.
India has abstained from explicitly condemning Russia’s irruption while calling for an immediate end to violence. Moscow calls its conduct in Ukraine a” special military operation”.
The United States is the only other country that has a specialized agreement with the EU analogous to the one inked on Monday with India.
“I suppose this relationship moment is more important than ever,” von der Leyen said in her opening reflections during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”We have a lot in common but we’re also facing grueling political geography.”
She linked cooperation on security, climate change, and trade as the main areas of focus.
“Both sides agreed that rapid-fire changes in the geopolitical terrain punctuate the need for joint in-depth strategic engagement,” an EU-India common statement said.
“The Trade and Technology Council will give the political steer and the necessary structure to operationalize political opinions, coordinate specialized work, and report to the political position to insure perpetuation and follow-up in areas that are important for the sustainable progress of European and Indian husbandry.”
Von der Leyen’s visit comes days after British Prime Minister Boris met his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and agreed to increase bilateral defense and business cooperation. Johnson was anteceded by US officers and the foreign ministers of Russia and China.
The EU chief was anticipated to offer to increase deals of European military outfits to India and relaunch addresses on a free trade deal, an elderly EU functionary said before the addresses began.
“They reviewed progress in the vibrant India-EU strategic cooperation & agreed to consolidate cooperation in areas of trade, climate, digital technology, and people-to-people ties,” Indian Foreign Ministry prophet, Arindam Bagchi, said on Twitter.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said after meeting Von der Leyen that they” changed views on the profitable and political counteraccusations of the Ukraine conflict”.
Like numerous European countries, India has continued to buy canvas from Russia despite warrants assessed on Moscow from the United States and other advanced countries.
