India – EU Leaders Meet for first time in EU+27 format, Hosted by Prime Minister of Portugal

In a first summit of its kind, Prime Minister Modi interacted with leaders of all EU nations and Presidents of European Council and European Commission today. The meeting was hosted by Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa which was termed as a pivotal moment in India EU partnership by MEA spokesperson. Taking the strategic partnership to the next level, leaders of India-EU+27 shared views on Covid-19, trade, connectivity & technology & climate and reforming multilateral institutions. They agreed to start negotiations on trade and investment agreements. MEA said that today’s historic summit reflects a strong will to deepen the India-EU relations.

The joint statement issued after the meeting of the leaders mentioned, “We, the leaders of the European Union (EU) and its Member States and India, met in hybrid format on 8 May 2021 in Porto. The meeting today highlighted our shared interests, principles and values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect for human rights, which underpin our Strategic Partnership. We agreed that, as the world’s two largest democracies, India and the EU have a common interest in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development in a multi-polar world. We agreed to further build on these convergences and foster new synergies for jointly contributing to a safer, greener, cleaner, more digital, resilient and stable world, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. We underlined the importance of effective and inclusive rules-based multilateralism for tackling current and future global challenges, with the United Nations (UN) at its core, and for ensuring a stable trading environment with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its centre.”

The Partnership will explore initiatives to improve connectivity between India and the EU as well as ensure synergies and complementarities between our developmental cooperation with partner countries. The leaders also agreed to strengthen digital partnership and improve data connectivity between India & EU and promote fast and effective roll-out of 5G on the basis of global standards. Focus on topics of mutual interest such as standardisation and certifications, decarbonisation and digitalisation, including signalling and traffic management such as the European Rail Traffic Management System, in line with the agreement made in the 2025 Roadmap was agreed upon. Launching #IndiaEU Connectivity Partnership with focus on digital, energy, transport, and people-to-people connectivity and shared prosperity through sustainable & inclusive connectivity between #IndiaEU & other regions, including Indo-Pacific was one of the highlights of the summit. The documents which were signed during the summit included India-EU Connectivity Partnership and Finance contract for second tranche of Euro 150 million for Pune Metro Rail project.

The importance of Indo Pacific for EU in the changing global order and recognition of India’s role in the region was visible in the concluding para of the Joint Statement signed by all leaders, which read, “We emphasised our commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific space, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, and rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In this context, we welcomed the development by the EU of its Strategy for cooperation with the Indo-Pacific and agreed to strengthen our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and in relevant regional fora. We recognised the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) unity and centrality and commit to increasing cooperation and exchanges in the ASEAN-led framework such as the ASEAN Regional Forum. The EU also appreciated India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, which intends to promote international coordination and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.