India looks to formalise defence ties with EU in Indo-Pacific | India News

While PM Narendra Modi and visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will look to increase ongoing efforts for an India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), each side are additionally seemingly to focus on methods to formalise defence and safety cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. This is of explicit curiosity to India because it encourages the EU to turn out to be extra concerned in the area, in favour of freedom, transparency and a rules-based order.
As the EU chief landed Thursday, describing India as a good friend and a strategic ally, authorities sources right here stated the go to had been in the works for the previous 6 months, or since each leaders had been re-elected final yr, and has nothing to do with the EU’s strained alliance with the US beneath President Donald Trump. On her third go to to India, von der Leyen is accompanied by the EU College of Commissioners.
According to Indian authorities, the go to will see vital progress in efforts to ramp up cooperation in areas like expertise, significantly AI, inexperienced vitality, house and defence, even when no main settlement is signed after the assembly that can be adopted by a joint assertion. Modi’s engagement with von der Leyen and the second assembly of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council in the course of the go to is anticipated to clear the trail for the India-EU summit later this yr.
Ahead of the talks, official sources right here stated the EU is exhibiting curiosity in defence cooperation with India in the Indo-Pacific and the two sides have had “informal coordination” between their forces to this point. “We may need discussions to formalise this cooperation,’’ stated a authorities supply, talking on situation of anonymity. EU adopted an Indo-Pacific technique in 2021, and has since labored to improve its engagement with like-minded nations in the area, but it surely’s usually seen as missing coherence.
Significantly although, in 2023, it appointed a army adviser in India for the primary time. According to the Indian authorities, India and EU are strengthening their defence cooperation beneath the EU co-funded Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia (ESIWA) programme and it’s anticipated to come up for additional discussions on Friday. They have additionally carried out joint naval train in the previous, like in the Gulf of Guinea in 2023
In an interview to TOI forward of her arrival, von der Leyen sought a reinforcement of the EU’s defence and safety cooperation with India, saying it is going to work with India and different nations to uphold the rules-based order in the area. While discussing Europe’s deal with Ukraine, exterior affairs minister S Jaishankar has on a number of events accused the West of wanting the opposite approach when the identical order was beneath stress in the Indo-Pacific.
Modi and von der Leyen may even focus on latest developments associated to Ukraine, significantly Trump’s talks with Russia to finish the struggle in which he didn’t contain both Europe or Ukraine. The EU chief is anticipated to interact India on the difficulty, whereas briefing Modi about her go to to Kyiv this week, Indian officers right here reiterated India’s place: each events should resort to dialogue and diplomacy as no resolution could be discovered on the battlefield.
On Friday, the two sides may have a plenary session that can be chaired by von der Leyen and Modi, whereas the College Members may even meet their counterparts individually. According to the EU, India is its largest buying and selling accomplice, with commerce in items valued at €124 billion in 2023.