Kaja Kallas, the EU Foreign Policy Chief, has arrived in India as Europe prepares to deliver a powerful new agenda focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between the European Union and India. Kallas, who holds a rank equivalent to Foreign Minister, said that the EU and India are set to sign a new Security and Defence Partnership on January 27 at the India-EU leaders' summit.
The visit coincides with the 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi on January 27, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will be chief guests at India's Republic Day celebrations on January 26. These leaders will also co-chair the summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Deepening Cooperation
The Security and Defence Partnership is expected to deepen cooperation in key areas, including maritime security, counter-terrorism, cyber-defence, and maritime domain awareness, with a focus on stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Kallas stated that Europe is ready to deliver a powerful new agenda with India, emphasizing that the EU considers India indispensable to Europe's economic resilience and strategic stability and is among India's largest trading partners.
The EU and India aim to help anchor stability in the Indo-Pacific by defending open sea lanes, strengthening maritime domain awareness, and resisting coercion. Beyond security, the EU and India are also set to conclude a memorandum of understanding on a comprehensive framework for cooperation on mobility, which will facilitate the movement of seasonal workers, students, researchers, and highly skilled professionals, while promoting research and innovation.
Trade and Economic Ties
The EU aims to conclude negotiations on a long-pending EU-India free trade agreement (FTA), which would open markets, remove barriers, and strengthen critical supply chains in areas such as clean technologies, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors. Kallas has called the India-EU FTA a “strategic choice” that provides a chance to reduce reliance on China, Russia, and the US. European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, described the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with India as the “mother of all deals”. The FTA will create a market for 2 billion people, accounting for about one-fourth of global GDP, and is expected to boost investment and growth, strengthen supply chains, and open new opportunities for companies.
However, both sides consider the other's protectionist proclivities as contributing to delays. Market access and agriculture remain key sticking points for the EU, while New Delhi views Brussels' EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism as a form of green protectionism.
Strategic Significance
The EU–India Summit can be seen as part of both parties' broader efforts to diversify and deepen relations with likeminded countries. The EU-India relationship is finding newfound urgency as the US challenges the rules-based international order. A trade deal would signal both parties' continued commitment to trade liberalization.
The Council has approved conclusions supporting the Commission's new EU-India agenda, which focuses on strengthening cooperation in areas such as prosperity, sustainability, technology, innovation, security, and global issues. Key priorities include finalising an ambitious free trade agreement by year-end, advancing security and defence collaboration towards a formal partnership, and upholding multilateralism and democratic values.
