Editorial 1: A stabilising force
Context
India-EU partnership is a stabilising force amid turbulence.
The significance
- The partnership between India and the European Union (EU) is gaining significance as a stabilising force in the emerging multipolar world.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Brussels this week was part of an effort to consolidate the new possibilities triggered by the growing convergence of interests and changing international circumstances.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Cyprus reinforces the new Indian commitment to Europe.
- The turbulence of Donald Trump’s second presidential term— marked by protectionism and scepticism toward alliances and partnerships — has nudged Delhi and Brussels to hedge against US unpredictability and uphold a rules-based international order.
- US remains the most important economic and strategic partner for India and Europe. Both sides will do their best to preserve the essence of that relationship; but they are also naturally looking to deepen other partnerships.
Bilateral relations
- The last year and more has seen greater momentum in bilateral relations.
- A comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), targeted for conclusion by the end of 2025, is central to joint efforts to diversify supply chains and promote sustainable growth.
- After years of stalled talks, Delhi and Brussels are now signalling unprecedented urgency to conclude the trade agreement.
- Connectivity projects such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) illustrate the ambition to reshape regional linkages and create new engines of innovation.
- Cooperation in advanced technologies and the exploration of new possibilities for defence industrial collaboration are also on the top of the current agenda.
- There are tricky waters to negotiate. Russia remains a sensitive factor in India-EU relations.
- While India maintains long-standing defence ties with Moscow and has refrained from criticising Russia’s war in Ukraine, Europe is at the receiving end of Russia’s ambitions to rearrange the regional order.
- However, both India and the EU have prioritised pragmatic engagement over ideological arguments.
- Brussels has avoided putting pressure on India for its Russia policy, instead focusing on trade, technology, and shared concerns about China.
- While the EU advocates peace and dialogue in South Asia, it also recognises India’s right to self-defence and has condemned cross-border terrorism.
Way forward
- Neither India nor EU want to let the Pakistan factor derail the new possibilities for building a bilateral strategic partnership.
- The India-EU partnership is becoming a central axis in the construction of a multipolar world.
- It is not merely a tactical hedge, but a strategic alignment grounded in shared economic interests, democratic values, and the pursuit of enhanced national security.