Underlining the shared interests of security and stability in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said in Delhi on Friday that the European Union (EU) and India are exploring a “security and defence partnership”. She also said that they will push to get the free trade agreement between the EU and India done this year.
“This world is fraught with danger. But I believe this modern version of great power competition is an opportunity for Europe and India to reimagine their partnership. In many ways, the EU and India are uniquely placed to respond to this challenge together,” von der Leyen said, speaking at an event organised by the EU and India’s World magazine.
“We both stand to lose from a world of spheres of influence and isolationism. And we both stand to gain from a world of cooperation and working together. Because we can offer each other distinctive alternatives and tools to make ourselves stronger, more secure and more sovereign in today’s world. The kind of offer that cannot really be replicated by others,” she added.
“This is why the EU and India have the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this century. And it is why it will be a cornerstone of Europe’s foreign policy in the years and decades to come. So, I want this visit to be the start of this new era,” she further said.
President von der Leyen, who is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, said, “Prime Minister Modi and I share the same view. It is time to take our EU-India strategic partnership to the next level. For our own security and our prosperity. For the common global challenges that we face. And for the benefit of our respective regions and our partners around the world.”
Framing the security and defence partnership in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she said, “We have many shared interests…wars, conflicts and coups have erupted in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, in Africa and across different regions, and what happens in one part of the world matters to both Europe and India, even if we sit far apart on the map. Because peace, security and prosperity are indivisible in this world.”
Referring to Russia’s goal “to tear Ukraine apart”, von der Leyen said, “…we should be clear about what is at stake here. A failed Ukraine would not only weaken Europe, and that is why we have taken historic steps to support Ukraine, and a failed Ukraine would also intensify the challenges other parts of the world, not least in this region, other countries around the world are watching very closely — whether there’s any impunity, if you invade a neighbour or violate international borders, or whether there are real deterrents, and this is why we want any peace talks to lead to a just and lasting peace with a free and prosperous Ukraine that can join the European family.”
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She said that “Europe is ready to live up to its responsibility when it comes to security and defence. We will step up our defence spending to ensure that member states have access to the full spectrum of capability that this new reality demands. But we also want to step up cooperation with crucial partners like India, and this is why I can announce that we are exploring a future security and defence partnership with India in the mould of the partnership we have with Japan and South Korea”.
“This will help us set up our work to counter common threats, whether on cross border terrorism, maritime security threats, the whole topic of cyber attacks, or the new phenomenon we see on attacks on our critical infrastructure,” she said.
She noted the recent collaboration on maritime security and India’s interest in joining defence industrial projects under the European Union’s permanent structured cooperation. “India is working hard to diversify its military supply and to access new capabilities, and I believe we can help each other to deliver on our security objectives. For instance, we can join forces where we have technology and expertise, if you just take the topics of cybersecurity, but also space. The whole topic of drones, and this is not only about stability in our respective regions, but it is also key part in strengthening our economic security and ultimately our prosperity. And this is why security should be at the core, a core part of our new strategic partnership with India,” the European Commission president said.
On the long-pending negotiations for the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, she said that a “free trade agreement between the European Union and India would be the largest deal of its kind anywhere in the world”. “I am very well aware it will not be easy, but I also know that timing and determination counts and that this partnership comes at the right moment for the two of us. This is why we have agreed with Prime Minister Modi to push to get it done during this year, and you can count on my full commitment to make sure we can deliver,” von der Leyen added.
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On the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, von der Leyen, who arrived in India on Thursday, said that the corridor launched in New Delhi in 2023 during India’s G20 presidency is a “historic opportunity to bring this to life”.
“It is an amazing project. This can be a modern golden road – directly connecting India, the Arabian Gulf and Europe. With a rail link, that will make trade between India and Europe 40% faster. With an electricity cable and a clean hydrogen pipeline. And a high-speed data cable to link some of the most innovative digital ecosystems in the world. This corridor is much more than ‘just’ a railway or a cable. It is a green and digital bridge across continents and civilisations. And it can help bring us closer together and boost trade on everything from batteries to clean hydrogen and digital services. This can be a win-win-win for Europe, India and our partners,” von der Leyen said.
“We are ready to invest in concrete projects that can already start making these connections happen. Europe is open for business, and we are ready to invest in our common future with India,” she added.