European Parliament delegation on India ties elects new chairman

The European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with India Thursday elected British Member of European Parliament (MEP) Geoffrey Van Orden as its new chairman.

The Delegation also elected another British MEP of Indian origin, Neena Gill, as first vice-chair and Cora van Nieuwenhuizen from the Netherlands as second vice-chair.

The Delegation has 24 members and 22 substitute members.

"I think relations between the European Union and India are vitally important and will be of increasing importance over the coming years and therefore I regard as great honour and privilege to be chairman of the Delegation," said Van Orden.

"I am very optimistic that under the new premiership of Mr. Modi, we will see progress in these relations," he added.

"I am very delighted and pleased to return to the European Parliament. I have an opportunity to renew my longstanding relationship with India," Gill said.

"We have got a lot of work to do in terms of trying to see how we can step up relations between the EU, the European Parliament and India. With the new Modi government in India we are very keen to engage with them," she said.

Cora van Nieuwenhuizen said "it is an honor to be elected as the vice-chair for the Delegation with India because India is very important in the world right now especially as an economic force".

The young Dutch MEP said she has not visited India as yet but now she was looking forward to visit the country.

Sunil Prasad, secretary general of the Brussels-based Europe India Chamber of Commerce, a trade body which promotes EU-India economic relations, said that Van Orden's appointment "promises to help strengthen the crucial EU-India relationship as India and EU need a meaningful, constructive and in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations as well as on international and regional issues of common interest".

Prasad hoped that Van Orden's knowledge about India, coupled with substantial political skills of actively promoting public diplomacy would fuel his outreach with the Indian Parliament.

Van Orden lived in India 30 years ago and is a frequent visitor to the country.

The new 751-member European Parliament was elected in elections held in the 28 EU member states last May. It held its first sitting in September.