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India and the European Union convened the 5th Strategic Partnership Review Meeting on November 22, 2024, in Brussels, and discussed an array of topics from defence, migration and green energy to deepen cooperation.
The EU delegation was led by Simon Mordue, Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues at the European External Action Service (EEAS), while the Indian side was headed by Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West), Tanmaya Lal, the joint statement read. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the India-EU Strategic Partnership, the meeting was held against the backdrop of deepening engagement between India and the EU and its member states. The discussions, which also included the 10th EU-India Foreign Policy and Security Consultations and the 10th EU-India Energy Panel, assessed bilateral cooperation across various domains. The meetings focused on implementing the commitments outlined in the 2020 'India-EU Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025' and identified priorities for future engagement. Both sides welcomed President Ursula von der Leyen's 2024-2029 Political Guidelines, which propose developing a new EU-India strategic agenda. Key topics included economic security, green transition, defence, migration, mobility, and technological collaboration under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC). Both sides discussed ongoing negotiations for agreements on free trade, investment protection, and geographical indications, emphasising their significance for the partnership, according to the release. The importance of resilient supply chains and opportunities for people-to-people exchanges in education and research were also highlighted. They reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral cooperation, particularly in the G20, disaster risk management, and counter-terrorism. "Both sides unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border attacks," the joint statement noted. The partnership's global implications were underscored, with both parties emphasising the need for a rules-based international order that respects sovereignty and promotes peaceful resolution of disputes. India welcomed the EU's increasing role in the Indo-Pacific, and both reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and prosperous region. India and the EU underlined the importance of the India-EU Strategic Partnership in addressing global challenges, and also reiterated their shared commitment to promoting a "free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific." India welcomed the European Union's increasing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. "Both sides emphasized that the rules-based international order must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of disputes. They underscored the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law and consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. They expressed their deep concern at the situation in the Middle East/West Asia and underlined the need for early restoration of peace and stability," the statement added. India and the EU share a historic partnership, formalised in 2004 and marked by extensive cooperation in trade, climate action, and strategic affairs. The EU remains one of India's largest trading partners, with agreements like the TTC bolstering technological and economic ties. The upcoming India-EU Summit in 2025 offers an opportunity to advance these relations further, ensuring alignment with their shared vision of addressing global challenges, the statement added. (ANI)
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