India, EU to upgrade ties at Delhi summit

New Delhi: The upcoming India-EU summit on Tuesday is likely to see the partnership between the two regions move to a new phase, with economic and security partnership taking centre stage at a time when reliability on the US has become a major question.

The two blocs are likely to conclude a free trade deal and announce new defence and security partnership that will help diversify military supply chains for both sides and allow better access to new capabilities.

However, the trade talks between the two sides have taken more than a decade to reach this stage.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that while the last mile is the hardest to achieve, it will be more than worth it, she said in an interview.

Leyen said that both sides are working “intensively” to resolve all the remaining challenges and to bring the trade deal “over the line”. In a boost for India, Leyen added that the European bloc is ready to find a workable solution to several key issues such as Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The EU President also highlighted that a trade deal could help remove 4 billion euros in tariffs for exporters. Without explicitly alluding to tensions across the Atlantic, Leyen—who arrived in India on Saturday for the summit—underscored that cooperation between India and the EU has become even more critical at a time when principles such as multilateralism, international law and democracy are under strain She said India and the EU have a shared responsibility to safeguard the rules-based global order and contribute to building a secure and resilient world. On India’s relationship with Russia, she said that the EU is positioning itself as a dependable, long-term partner for India, grounded in mutual security interests. This partnership, she stressed, is based on “cooperation by choice, not alignment by pressure.” Responding to a question on Greenland, von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to upholding the sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland, saying the bloc would respond firmly to any challenges while simultaneously working towards a surge in investments in Greenland.