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European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi within the capital metropolis, New Delhi.
The 2 leaders introduced an settlement, the “EU-India Commerce and Know-how Council,” to work collectively on know-how and safety issues.
What does the deal contain?
The technical settlement is supposed to permit each companions to “deal with challenges on the nexus of commerce, trusted know-how and safety, and thus deepen cooperation in these fields between the EU and India,” in keeping with a joint assertion.
This would be the first such mechanism for India, and the second for the EU. The bloc has up to now solely arrange the same settlement with the USA.
Ursula von der Leyen added that their respective groups would quickly start negotiating on free commerce agreements.
A spokesperson for India’s International Ministry mentioned the 2 sides agreed to “deepen cooperation in areas of commerce, local weather, digital know-how and people-to-people ties.”
Ukraine battle looms over talks
Though von der Leyen and Modi didn’t launch a press release regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the battle hung heavy over the talks.
Ursula von der Leyen mentioned in her press convention with Modi that each nations have been “vibrant democracies” and that the 60-year previous partnership between Brussels and New Delhi was extra essential than ever at the moment.
She added that regardless of discovering frequent floor as “robust supporters of the international-rules based mostly order,” the nations have been “going through a difficult political panorama” in a veiled reference to the conflict in Ukraine.
Indian International Minister Subrahmanyam Jaisahankar mentioned he “exchanged views on the financial and political implications of the Ukraine battle” throughout his dialogue with the EU chief, Reuters information company reported.
New Delhi has not formally condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In an interview over the weekend, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman instructed Bloomberg Information that India needs to be “mates with the European Union” and the Western world, however not as a “weak good friend that wants determined assist right here and there.”
Russia has historically been India’s high arms provider.
Regardless of a rising refrain of Western leaders calling on New Delhi to cut back ties with Russia, India has continued to carry talks with Russian officers.
European international ministers in India
Together with the EU chief, the international ministers of a number of different European nations — Norway, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Slovenia — are additionally in India.
The international ministers are scheduled to take part at a geopolitical dialogue organized by India’s International Ministry, in keeping with the official web site for the occasion.
Ursula von der Leyen is the chief visitor on the occasion that kicks off afterward Monday.
Indian International Minister Jaishankar was additionally current throughout the joint press convention between von der Leyen and Modi.
First India go to as EU chief
The European Fee chief landed in New Delhi on Sunday for a two-day go to, which can be her first go to to India in her place.
She held talks with Indian local weather activists on Sunday, addressing Indian and European Union’s shared ambition to handle local weather change by reducing dangerous emissions and growing the usage of renewable sources of vitality.
She can be set to satisfy different political and enterprise representatives in India.
The EU is India’s third-largest buying and selling associate, however previous makes an attempt to safe a free commerce deal have stalled. Von der Leyen’s go to additionally follows a go to by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who additionally met with Modi. The 2 introduced plans to extend protection and enterprise cooperation — a key objective of the UK following its exit from the EU.
Edited by: Rebecca Staudenmaier
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