 "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen deliver joint remarks in New Delhi. AP")
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed strong ties between India and the European Union by presenting an anecdote of planetary alignment. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and von der Leyen reaffirmed that both the EU and India have agreed to push for the long-pending Free Trade Agreement. As they pledge to finalise the deal by this year, the two leaders agreed on building a strong partnership in the areas of trade, technology, connectivity and defense.
“Today is no ordinary day, Europe and India are coming together and as I read in the news, so are the planets. Seven planets in the Solar system come into perfect alignment,” von der Leyen said during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister. “This is a very outstanding event, and they say that this event signals growth and transformation, and that’s exactly the moment we find ourselves in. The planets are aligned, and so are India and Europe,” she added.
The president of the European Commission warned that one “should avoid harmful dependencies and build stronger economies”. “We must take our trade and technology council to the next level… We know that growth and economic security go hand in hand, and by sourcing the product we need from the partners we trust, we avoid harmful dependencies and build stronger economies… I want to focus on digital technologies where you (India) excel,” von der Leyen averred.
“We share the belief that technology serves the people and not the other way around. You (PM Modi) at the AI-Paris summit said that AI is writing the code of humanity, and you were so right,” she added.
India-EU relaunched FTA talks
The European Commission chief is on a two-day visit to India starting Thursday. She was accompanied by top leaders of the EU member nations. One of the main agendas of her visit was to relaunch India and the EU talks on the FTA, which have been pending since 2021.
Issues like market access for products such as cars and alcoholic beverages have been sticking points. During the meeting, PM Modi and von der Leyen agreed to have the next round of negotiations in March. Both sides have agreed to cooperate closely on issues including foreign policy, security and technology.
Brussels is ramping up efforts to finalize the free trade agreement with New Delhi in the face of potential US tariffs, which President Donald Trump has constantly threatened to impose. It is pertinent to note that the EU is India’s largest trading partner, ahead of the US and China. Over 6,000 European companies are operating in India presently. “I want this visit to be the start of this new era. Prime Minister Modi and I share the same view. It is time to take our EU- India Strategic Partnership to the next level,” Von der Leyen said ahead of the meeting with the prime minister.
With inputs from agencies.