Given a volatile global, economic and security scenario, India and the European Union(EU)have said they share fundamental values and have a common interest in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development in a multi-polar world. The two sides also said they are committed to deepening their partnership to accelerate the growth and deployment of advanced digital technologies that will benefit both societies. These were the major takeaways from the first meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)late Tuesday. In a joint statement issued later, the two sides said they also face a challenging and volatile global political, economic and security landscape.
“In that context, both sides emphasised the importance of the rules-based international order and full respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency, and peaceful resolution of disputes,” the statement said.
The meeting, which concluded in Brussels Tuesday evening, was co-chaired by Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis on the EU side, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister for Skill Development and IT on the Indian side. The joint statement also called for annual TTC meeting alternating between the EU and India, with the next meeting planned for early 2024 in India.
The two sides said the rapid changes in the world’s geopolitical environment highlight the need for an even deeper strategic partnership between India and the European Union.
“As vibrant democracies, open market economies and pluralistic societies India and the European Union share fundamental values and have a common interest in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development in a multi-polar world,” it said.
“India and the European Union are committed to deepening their partnership and leveraging their respective strengths to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced digital technologies that will benefit both societies and promote global progress in line with our common values,” it said.