India, EU to firm up FTA, defence agreement at January 27 summit

With the world order looking wobbly, the European Union is eyeing to forge a broad global agenda in partnership with India and the two sides are set to firm up a free trade pact, a defence framework agreement and a strategic agenda at their annual summit on January 27.

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Top diplomatic said that the free trade agreement to be sealed at the summit in New Delhi will be a “living document” on which work could be continued to iron out any issues that remain unresolved.

“India and the EU can set the agenda for global governance, along with France, in the absence of the US,” a senior EU official said. “India is one of the big players that we work with and can rely on.”

The proposed India-EU free trade agreement is expected to bring the relationship between the two sides much closer, with its positive impact being expected in a range of other sectors as well, at a time the world is witnessing trade disruptions in view of Washington' tariff policy.