02/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Dimitrij Rupel, who led the European delegation at the EU-India Troika meeting on 30 May in New Delhi, explained that the two parties had drawn up a balance sheet of the first eight years of the “strategic partnership”, which illustrated that “relations had been considerably strengthened”. The EU-India summit planned for this autumn in Marseilles, under the French Presidency of the EU, is expected to provide this cooperation with “a new political boost”, explained the Slovenian minister for foreign affairs and the current president of the EU Council. The EU and India also discussed international political issues, such as the Middle East peace process, relations with Russia and China, globalisation and climate change, energy security, food price hikes and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. A press release published by the Slovenian Presidency explained that on this final point, Rupel had called on India to join the non-proliferation regime and get involved with the implementation of international instruments on the question. (H.B.)