The visit of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to New Delhi from 24 to 26 April, was the occasion to announce the creation of an EU/India Trade and Technology Council (TTC). This is the second such body after the launch in September 2021 of the EU-US TTC Council (see EUROPE 12801/20).
“India is technologically a powerhouse. And in the trade sector we need to unleash an enormous amount of untapped potential”, said Ms von der Leyen during her meeting with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
This new TTC aims to strengthen cooperation on trade challenges, new technologies and security. “It will provide the political steer and the necessary structure to operationalise political decisions, coordinate technical work, and report to the political level”, according to the Commission’s joint press release.
The details of the working groups that will be formed, and the timetable for their implementation, are not yet fixed.
In 2021, at a virtual summit with Mr Modi, the decision was taken to negotiate a trade and investment agreement between the EU and India (see EUROPE 12716/4). Negotiations will only start in June this year.
On this last point, a delegation of MEPs who visited New Delhi from 11 to 13 April indicated that they had received positive signs about future negotiations.
Global gateway. During her visit, Ms von der Leyen promoted the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, unveiled at the end of 2021, which aims to finance infrastructures around the world (see EUROPE 12844/7).
“Some countries have been forced to take unsustainable offers (and) they face situations where they do not fully control their own infrastructure such as ports, railways [...] This is why we introduced the Global Gateway”, she said in a speech at the Raisina Dialogue in the Indian capital.
At the same event, the Commission President stressed the need to combat Vladimir Putin’s ideology, while India has yet to condemn the Russian invasion.
“Our response to Russian aggression today will decide both the international system, and the global economy [...] The outcome of Mr Putin’s war will not only determine the future of Europe, but will also deeply affect the Indo-Pacific region and the rest of the world. For the Indo-Pacific, it is as important as it is for Europe that borders are respected, and that spheres of influence are rejected”, she said.
Finally, Ms von der Leyen discussed global warming with Narendra Modi, after visiting several Indian energy institutes and research centres. “Cooperation with India not only on solar but also on green hydrogen is critical”, she said. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)