India, EU negotiations to push trade, tech and defence ties

Negotiations between India and the European Union (EU) on a trade deal, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, and the creation of a bilateral strategic agenda will be in focus during European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to New Delhi this week.

- Rezaul H Laskar

Von der Leyen and 21 members of the EU College of Commissioners, or political leaders of the 27 member states, are travelling to India during February 27-28 for meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. The second ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) will also be held during the visit.

Modi and Von der Leyen are expected to review the negotiations for a free trade agreement, which the two sides resumed in 2022 after a gap of almost a decade, and the two sides will also seek to advance cooperation in defence and security, including in the Indo-Pacific region, a senior EU official told a media briefing on Tuesday.

The two sides will take stock of “where we are and how we can push forward those negotiations” for the FTA, the official said. Describing India as a “relatively closed” market, especially for key European products such as wines and spirits and automobiles, the official said the focus will be on an “ambitious and commercially meaningful” FTA that covers tariffs, non-tariff barriers and procurement commitments.