New Delhi: Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Union and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, arrived in the national capital on Saturday on her first official visit to India, marking a significant moment in the deepening of India-EU relations.
Welcoming her visit, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the engagement comes at an opportune time to further strengthen the India-EU Strategic Partnership. In a post on X, he noted that the visit builds on the momentum generated by regular high-level interactions between the two sides.
The visit assumes added significance ahead of the 16th India-EU Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi next week, where a new comprehensive strategic agenda is expected to be adopted. Speaking earlier in the European Parliament, Kallas said the European Union is ready to move forward with a powerful new agenda with India, including the signing of a new Security and Defence Partnership.
She said the agreement would expand cooperation in key areas such as maritime security, counterterrorism and cyber defence, and expressed her intent to sign it during the upcoming EU-India Summit in New Delhi.
The momentum in India-EU ties has also been underlined by statements from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who recently said the European Union is close to finalising a Free Trade Agreement with India. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, she described the proposed pact as a potentially historic deal that could create a market of nearly two billion people and account for almost a quarter of global GDP.
Von der Leyen said she would travel to India next weekend to advance work on the trade agreement and strengthen broader economic cooperation. She also emphasised that Europe remains open to doing business with partners across the world as part of its global trade strategy.
European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are scheduled to pay a three-day State Visit to India from January 25 to 27 and will serve as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations. During the visit, they will co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit and meet President Droupadi Murmu, along with holding delegation-level and restricted talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
An India-EU Business Forum is also expected to be organised on the sidelines of the summit. India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004, with the last summit held virtually in July 2020. The participation of EU leaders in the Republic Day celebrations and the summit is expected to further deepen cooperation across political, economic and security domains.
