On Friday 6 October, European Council President Donald Tusk announced that during their summit the EU and India had agreed to strengthen their political cooperation.
"We agreed to develop the political dimension of our relationship more (...) and to step up cooperation on global and regional challenges", he said at the end of the summit in New Delhi. Stating that the EU and India were "the two biggest democracies in the world", Tusk said that this involved "the absolute responsibility of upholding freedom, democracy, human rights and world order based on credible rules". In these times "of uncertainty, and changes", "the best way to address these challenges is to cooperate more and better. (And this is done) by strengthening our strategic partnership", he said.
The EU and India thus signed a joint statement on counter-terrorism. In it, the European and Indian leaders "resolved to step up cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism, violent extremism and radicalisation, disrupt recruitment, terrorist activities and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, stop sources of terrorist financing, dismantle terrorist infrastructure and prevent the supply of arms to terrorists". The two parties also hail the joint commitment to explore the possibilities of developing cooperation between the relevant institutions of the two sides in order to share information and best practice.
Tusk told press that the two parties had decided to step up their cooperation on maritime security in the Indian Ocean and beyond, and he said he hoped this will lead to enhanced military cooperation. "We welcome the resumption of tactical exercises in the Gulf of Aden between the EU's Naval Force Operation ATALANTA and the Indian Navy and look forward to more such opportunities including India's participation in escorting World Food Programme vessels", he added.
The EU and India also discussed the world migration crisis and agreed to coordinate closely on this too, "through the joint EU-India programme for migration and mobility, and within the United Nations". They also spoke about the situation in Burma/Myanmar and the crisis of the Rohingya Muslims. Tusk said that they called for a de-escalation of tension, "with the full respect of international obligations on human rights, with full humanitarian access, so that help can reach those in need". He added that they also called for the implementation of the recommendations of the international Rakhine Advisory Commission.
In a joint statement on the summit, the two parties also spoke of the situation in North Korea, saying that the international community had the responsibility to act with resolve for a peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. The EU and Indian leaders also addressed the Iranian nuclear programme agreement, the Middle East peace process, the situation in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Ukraine, and also -EU-India cooperation on Africa. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)