Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: May 9 marks the 73rd anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman Declaration’ signed in 1950, which marked a pivotal moment in European history. It aimed at fostering long-term peace and unity among war-torn countries in Europe and laid the foundation for the establishment of the European Union (EU) as we know it today.
To celebrate this significant milestone, Europe Day is observed every year with hundreds of cultural events across the continent, promoting the values of peace and unity that the EU stands for.
In 2022, India and the European Union (EU) celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations. India became the first Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with the EU in 1962, then known as the European Economic Community (EEC).
The relationship between India and the EU has grown from being centered around trade and economic cooperation to becoming a strategic partnership.
The first cooperation agreement was signed in 1994, which expanded the scope of the bilateral relationship beyond trade and economic cooperation. The watershed moment in the evolution of the India-EU relationship came in 2000 with the first India-EU Summit. This set the tone for the strengthening of dialogue and consultation mechanisms across political, economic, and cultural spheres.
Strategic partners
India is one of the ten countries that the EU considers a strategic partner. This recognition came in 2004, during the fifth India-EU Summit in The Hague, in the context of a rising and assertive China and the adoption of The European Security Strategy in December 2003. The bilateral relations have picked up steam since the 1990s, following India’s economic liberalization. Apart from trade relations, political engagement has also expanded. More importantly, people-to-people relations have grown exponentially as Europe became a learning hub for thousands of young people.
In 2017, during the 14th IndiaEU Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need for a deeper relationship between India and the EU as “natural partners.” The current Indian government under PM Modi’s leadership has given greater impetus to the India-EU partnership.
The 15th India-EU Summit in July 2020 adopted the “EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025,” which provided a common roadmap to guide joint action and further strengthen the partnership across five domains: foreign policy and security cooperation, trade and economy, sustainable modernization partnership, global governance, and people-to-people relations.
Bilateral trade
Bilateral trade between India and the EU has seen a significant surge, with the trade value rising from US$1.638 billion in the 1960s-70s to US$5.701 billion in 1980, and finally to US$116.36 billion in 2021-22. The EU is India’s second-largest trading partner after the US and the secondlargest destination for Indian exports.
The two sides are currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement to further boost economic cooperation. They have also agreed to establish an EU-India Trade and Technology Council. India is the second country, after the United States, with which the EU has signed such an agreement.
Defence cooperation
India’s cooperation with the EU has expanded beyond trade and economic cooperation, and it now includes the defence sector. This collaboration has grown substantially, with India seeking to reduce its hardware dependence on Russia in the face of the Ukraine conflict and diversify its armament imports from other regions.
India and the EU regularly conduct joint military and naval exercises, reflecting their commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. In 2021, they held their first maritime security dialogue, which focused on cooperation in maritime domain awareness, capacity-building, and joint naval activities.
France’s on-time delivery of 36 Rafale fighter jets and willingness to offer Barracuda nuclear attack submarines to the Indian Navy reflects the growing level of trust in their relationship. Leading European defence equipment manufacturers are also keen to partner with Indian companies for defence projects aligned with the ‘Make in India’ programme. Such developments highlight the deepening of India-EU strategic partnership and their joint efforts to ensure regional stability and security
