India-EU Partnership Can Help Steady A Turbulent Global Order, Says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said deeper cooperation between India and the European Union could play a stabilising role in an increasingly unsettled global environment, as the two sides announced the conclusion of a landmark Free Trade Agreement.

Speaking at a joint press conference in New Delhi with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, the Prime Minister described January 27 as a historic moment that marks the beginning of a new phase of co-development between India and the EU. He said two major global powers were taking their partnership forward into a new era built on shared goals and mutual growth.

PM Modi noted that the agreement under discussion is among the largest free trade deals ever envisaged, covering all 27 member states of the European Union. He said the FTA would boost investment, encourage new innovation-driven partnerships and strengthen global supply chains, adding that it goes beyond trade to serve as a framework for shared prosperity.

The Prime Minister also highlighted progress on a new migration and mobility framework and said India and the EU had further reinforced their strategic relationship through a fresh defence and security agreement.

Emphasising the broader relationship, he said India-EU ties have advanced significantly in recent years, grounded in common democratic values, economic complementarity and strong people-to-people links. He added that nearly eight lakh Indians living across Europe play a key role in deepening bilateral engagement and strengthening the partnership.