Deepening partnership with India: EU steps up engagement in Indo Pacific with new plan
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021
The European Union has stepped up its engagement on Indo Pacific with adoption of a joint communication on the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo Pacific.
This plan includes concrete actions to reinforce the strategic engagement with the region which was tasked by the EU Council in April of this year.
Highlighting the importance of the adoption EU President Ursula von der Leyen said, "With (these) proposals, and guided by our values, we are offering a strengthened partnership to advance trade, investment and connectivity, while addressing common global challenges and reinforcing the rules-based international order."
India is key to the plan asEU is resuming its trade negotiations and starting investment negotiations with the country. The document stated that, "Once concluded, these agreements will considerably enhance the EU-India trade and investment relationship".
The plan mentions EU stepping up implementation of the Connectivity Partnerships with Japan and India.
As part of the plan, EU will also initiate regulatory cooperation in areas to support the green and digital transitionsas, for example, the EU and India agreed to do in May 2021. Overall, EU will deepen its engagement with partners that already have Indo-Pacific approaches of their own — ASEAN, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Interestingly, under the new plan, the group will be engaging with Quad on "issues of common interest such as climate change, technology or vaccines".
The Quad or India, US, Japan and Australia will be holding their first in-person summit next week in Washington, in a move that formalises the grouping. The 18-page joint communication sees the Indian Ocean as the "principal passage for Europe to and from Indo-Pacific markets" and therefore the "stability and freedom of navigation in this area are therefore vital".
As part of the plan, the EU will also pursue its deep trade and investment relationships with regions and countries with whom it does not have trade and investment agreements, such as Taiwan.