Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Sibi George, recently met with European Union’s (EU) Special Envoy for Indo-Pacific, Maria Castillo Fernandez in New Delhi. The discussions primarily centered on enhancing the strategic partnership between India and the EU. Last month, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar also engaged with European People’s Party President and member of European Parliament, Manfred Weber in Delhi. Both leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining the positive momentum in India-EU relations and the swift ratification of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
India recently concluded significant trade negotiations with the EU, finalizing a landmark FTA earlier this year. The 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi marked the conclusion of these negotiations on January 27, which was celebrated as a historic achievement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and others. In another meeting, EAM Jaishankar interacted with visiting members of the European Parliament, led by Angelika Niebler in New Delhi. The discussions revolved around the evolving dynamics in India-EU relations and the increasing alignment between the two sides.
The relationship between India and the European Union is underpinned by shared values and principles such as democracy, rule of law, a rules-based international order, and multilateralism, as highlighted in a statement by the MEA. The multifaceted India-EU ties encompass various sectors including trade, investment, climate change, science and technology, digital cooperation, connectivity, and agriculture.
