Brussels, 26/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - An EU-India troika meeting will be held in Prague on Monday 29 June 2009 to prepare for the EU-India summit in New Delhi in the second half of the year that will focus on climate change, trade, energy and security. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, EU External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and EU High Representative for the CFSP Javier Solana will represent Europe along with Swedish Foreign Minister Frank Belfrage. India's delegation will be headed by the new Indian foreign minister (who took up office on 22 May 2009), Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna.
The EU and India have been committed to a strategic partnership since 2004 (see EUROPE 8823), and have been building up relations through an action plan originally adopted in 2005 (see EUROPE 9022) and revised last year (see EUROPE 9750) to deepen cooperation over peace, global security, sustainable development, R&D and personal and cultural contact and exchanges. Welcoming close EU-India cooperation for five years in fields like R&D, renewable energy, education (the Erasmus Mundus programme) and other fields, Benita Ferrero Waldner said the two sides “must join efforts to confront global issues and regional challenges.” In a press release published on Friday 26 June 2009, she hoped for deeper political dialogue and commitment. Monday's meeting will focus on energy cooperation and climate change ahead of the United Nations Copenhagen conference in December, counter-terrorism and the situation in the Indian sub-continent. (A.B./transl.fl)