India and EU to intensify engagement with 2 ministerial visits and FTA talks this week
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File photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) speaks with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 28, 2025.
This week will also see a 30-member delegation from the EU’s Political and Security Committee visiting India, coinciding with a counter-terrorism dialogue in Brussels on September 9. The counterterror dialogue will be led by key officials from the two sides.
In a push to deepen ties, India and the European Union are set to significantly elevate their engagement this week, with two high-level ministerial ( EU Commissioner level) visits to New Delhi and the 13th round of negotiations for a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The flurry of diplomatic activity comes even as both sides aim to conclude the FTA by year’s end, building on momentum from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Brussels and visit of European college led by President Ursula von der Leyen to India.
This week, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen and Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič will arrive in New Delhi, coinciding with the 13th round of FTA talks. The negotiations, which have made steady progress, have already provisionally closed 11 chapters, covering areas such as Intellectual properties, customs and trade facilitation, transparency, good regulatory practices, mutual administrative assistance, SMEs, sustainable food system, dispute settlement, competition and subsidy, digital trade chapter, and anti-fraud practices.
Discussions on capital movement are nearing completion, though both sides have drawn clear red lines, excluding dairy, sugar, and rice from the FTA agreement talks. The focus remains on enhancing market access and addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers, with Indian Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal’s recent trip to Brussels restating the commitment to move forward.
The FTA talks are part of a broader strategic alignment between India and EU-2 large economies, amid geopolitical changes and in the shadow of Donald Trump's tariffs. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held telephonic talks.
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to concluding the FTA swiftly and discussed pressing global issues, including the war in Ukraine and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). PM Modi emphasised India’s support for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict, while also extending an invitation to EU leaders for the India-EU Summit next year, expected to set the tone for the new strategic partnership agenda.
The coming months promise a packed agenda. This week will also see a 30-member delegation from the EU’s Political and Security Committee visiting India, coinciding with a counter-terrorism dialogue in Brussels on September 9. The counter terror dialogue will be led by key officials from the two sides. India is expected to express its concerns over the issue of cross-border terror as both sides work to deal with the scourge of terrorism.
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On September 17, the EU Commission will unveil a key vision document outlining its strategic agenda with India—a political offer aimed at strengthening ties across all levels. It will be discussed at every level, from working groups to ministerial and head-of-government. The document is expected to be the bedrock of ties.
Looking ahead, the 14th round of FTA talks is slated for early October, followed by a visit from the chair of the EU Parliament’s standing committee on trade matters. In November, EAM Jaishankar was invited to Brussels for the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum as the EU pivots towards the region that is seen as key to global growth. By late November, foreign policy and security consultations at the secretary level will take place in New Delhi, reviewing the broader strategic partnership. Around the same time, a strategic partnership review will take place.
Meanwhile, plans are underway for the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting this fall. Launched in February 2023, the TTC—India’s first such initiative with any partner—aims to bolster cooperation in trade, technology, and security, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations. The crescendo of this diplomatic blitz this year will likely culminate with a visit by Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to India ahead of next year’s summit. Her trip, the first since assuming office, will focus on the EU's commitment to elevating its partnership with India at a time of great geopolitical uncertainty.
