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A lot seems to be on the table as India is set to host the 16th EU-India Summit on January 27, with leaders expected to adopt a joint EU-India comprehensive strategic agenda and deepen regional and multilateral cooperation.
"At the summit, leaders are expected to adopt a joint EU-India comprehensive strategic agenda, to reinforce the strategic partnership and deepen cooperation which delivers stability and prosperity at home and beyond," the EU diplomatic service, European External Action Service - EEAS, said in a post on X. https://x.com/eu_eeas/status/2015356517579641151?s=20 The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will represent the EU at the 16th EU-India summit in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the summit, a statement by the European Council said. The statement quoted Costa as saying, "India is a crucial partner for the EU. Together, we share the capacity and responsibility to protect the rules-based international order." The summit will offer an opportunity to build on the EU-India strategic partnership and further strengthen collaboration across key policy areas such as trade, security and defence, the clean transition and people-to-people cooperation. Presidents Costa and von der Leyen will also attend India's 77th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, as guests of honour. The summit will take place against the backdrop of the positive momentum in EU-India relations in recent years and the sustained high-level engagement across all domains, as per the statement. In October 2025, the Council of the EU endorsed the new strategic EU-India agenda and its objective of further developing EU-India ties. Leaders will also discuss trade, in context of the ongoing negotiations on a free-trade agreement that started in 2007 (and was relaunched in 2022). Such an agreement would boost bilateral trade and investment ties and drive shared prosperity. Leaders will also focus on the closer collaboration between the EU and India on security and defence matters, especially in the context of establishing a security and defence partnership. As per the statement, the leaders will also discuss regional and global matters, in particular: the importance of an effective multilateral system, a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, Russia's war against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. (ANI)
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