India, EU agree to broaden ties as Ukraine war shadows talks
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s India trip is part of Western efforts to encourage New Delhi to reduce ties with Russia.
India and the European Union have agreed to set up a trade and technology council to step up cooperation, as the bloc’s chief held talks with officials in New Delhi who have seen a flurry of top visits since the start of the Ukraine war.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is on a two-day trip to India’s capital, part of Western efforts to encourage New Delhi to reduce ties to Russia, its main weapons supplier, following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
India has refrained from explicitly condemning Russia’s invasion, while calling for an immediate end to violence. Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation”.
Energy security is one of the most pressing topics for India and Europe.
The EU will diversify away from Russian fossil fuels and will invest heavily in clean renewable energy.
So 🇪🇺🇮🇳 cooperation on solar and green hydrogen is key.#GlobalGateway can play a crucial role here. pic.twitter.com/StsFj7T5UV
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 25, 2022
The United States is the only other country that has a technical agreement with the EU similar to the one signed on Monday with India.
“I think this relationship today is more important than ever,” von der Leyen said in her opening remarks during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We have a lot in common but we are also facing a challenging political landscape.”
She identified cooperation on security, climate change and trade as the main areas of focus.
“Both sides agreed that rapid changes in the geopolitical environment highlight the need for joint in-depth strategic engagement,” an EU-India joint statement said.
“The Trade and Technology Council will provide the political steer and the necessary structure to operationalise political decisions, coordinate technical work, and report to the political level to ensure implementation and follow-up in areas that are important for the sustainable progress of European and Indian economies.”
At Raj Ghat today I pay tribute to the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.
His aura has long transcended the borders of his native India.
He has gifted us a precious set of values which, more than ever, should guide us in making our world a more peaceful place. pic.twitter.com/rBRdo7iSdC
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 25, 2022
Von der Leyen’s visit comes days after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Modi and agreed to increase bilateral defence and business cooperation with India. Johnson was preceded by US officials and the foreign ministers of Russia and China.
The EU chief was expected to offer to increase sales of European military equipment to India and relaunch talks on a free trade deal, a senior EU official said before the talks began.
“They reviewed progress in the vibrant India-EU strategic partnership and agreed to deepen cooperation in areas of trade, climate, digital technology and people-to-people ties,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said after meeting von der Leyen that they “exchanged views on the economic and political implications of the Ukraine conflict”.
Like many European countries, India has continued to buy oil from Russia despite sanctions imposed on Moscow by the US and other developed countries.