EU-India partnership limitless, ambitious and progressive: Envoy

The European Union-India partnership is “limitless, ambitious and progressive” and both sides have elevated the relationship to a “totally new level” in both qualitative and strategic terms, EU Ambassador Herve Delphin has said.

In an address at an event, the envoy also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “not an era of war” message “deeply resonates” with Europe’s values and identity, and called the EU “fundamentally a peace project”.

Characterising the EU-India summit held three and a half months ago as a milestone, Delphin said the confluence of symbolism, substance and strategic significance resulted in “momentous outcomes”.

“We have placed our relationship to a totally new level, in qualitative and strategic terms. The EU-India partnership is limitless, ambitious and progressive,” he said.

“These achievements would not have been possible without the political conviction and trust shared by our leaders,” the envoy said at the Europe Day celebrations on Friday night.

Delphin cited the unveiling of a joint strategic agenda for the next five years, the conclusion of negotiations for an ambitious free trade agreement, the signing of a security and defence partnership pact and the firming up of a comprehensive framework on mobility as major takeaways from the summit.

“Fundamentally, we are global forces for good. We are both recognised as trusted, reliable partners working for global stability and prosperity, promoting global cooperation and solutions,” he said.

“That India and the EU and its member States are deepening their ties like never before is truly a reason for celebration this year. This is the Europe-India moment,” Delphin said in the presence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a sizeable number of diplomats, academicians and foreign policy experts. The envoy characterised the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa as the Chief Guests at India’s Republic Day parade and the EU-India summit as a “moment where symbolism, substance and strategic significance came together, resulting in momentous outcomes”.

The free trade agreement between the two sides has been billed as the “mother of all” trade deals.

“We are already India’s leading trading partner. With the FTA in place, we expect our two-way trade to double in value in the next few years,” Delphin said.

The envoy also cited a report titled the “EU business economic footprint in India” released this week that analysed various dimensions of the two-way economic engagement.

“About 6000 EU companies, generating the creation of close to six million jobs, exporting close to 25 billion euros (worth of goods) from India to the world (6 per cent of India’s total exports),” he said.

The EU, as a bloc, is India’s largest trading partner in goods. For the financial year 2024-25, India’s total trade in goods with the EU was worth about $136 billion, with exports around $76 billion and imports at $60 billion.

In his remarks, Delphin also mentioned what he described as Russia’s “war of aggression” against Ukraine.

“Wars cause immense human suffering, massive economic losses. Ultimately, aggressors end up paying the higher price. Russia is not winning but losing the war of aggression it deliberately launched,” he said.

“We will continue to stand with Ukraine and in support of a just and lasting peace. This message of (PM Modi) - ‘not an era of war’ - deeply resonates with Europe’s values and identity,” he said.

“The EU is fundamentally a peace project, turning the back on centuries of continental wars,” Delphin added.