Europe and India seek closer ties with mega-deal

>>>BRUSSELS: India and Europe hope to strike the “mother of all deals” when EU chiefs meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi next week, as the two economic behemoths seek to forge closer ties.

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COMMON GROUND: Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, right, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, centre, talk before an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Facing challenges from China and the United States, India and the European Union have been negotiating a massive free trade pact — and talks, first launched about two decades ago, are nearing the finishing line.

"We are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week.

Ms Von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa will attend Republic Day celebrations Monday before an EU-India summit Tuesday, where they hope to shake hands on the accord.