India, EU eye security and defence partnership, commit to IMEC

Closer ties on green H2, AI and 6G planned

India and the European Union (EU) have committed to exploring a security and defence partnership to jointly counter threats and realise the full potential of the proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), both sides announced on Friday.

 

They have also committed to holding key summits on renewable energy and strengthening ties on artificial intelligence (AI) during the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to India.

 

“The EU side welcomed India’s interest in joining the projects under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) as well as engaging in negotiations for a Security of Information Agreement (SoIA),” a joint statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and von der Leyen.

 

Meanwhile, both sides also plan a review meeting with all IMEC partners going forward to take stock, the joint statement read.

 

Announced during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in 2023, the IMEC initiative is a sea-land connectivity project linking India with West Asia and Europe — a move by New Delhi to counter China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative. It aims to provide a reliable and cost-effective cross-border ship-to-rail transit network to supplement existing maritime and road transport routes, enabling goods and services to transit to and from, and between, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe.

 

Both sides have agreed to hold an India-EU Green Hydrogen Forum and the India-EU Business Summit on offshore wind energy. Joint research cooperation on battery recycling for electric vehicles (EVs), marine plastic litter, and waste-to-hydrogen has also been outlined, with an estimated total joint budget of €60 million from the Horizon Europe programme and matching Indian contributions. A separate dialogue on space will also begin soon, while both sides will pilot trilateral cooperation projects in Africa and the Indo-Pacific, Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal said in a media briefing.

 

Closer ties between the India-AI Mission and the EU AI Office have been committed, while a memorandum of understanding between the Bharat 6G Alliance and the EU 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association has been signed to create secure and trusted telecommunications and resilient supply chains.

 

Talks on mobility and migration partnerships have also been fast-tracked. “It should be a priority for both parties to make migration, mobility, Schengen visas, and EU Blue Cards simple and smooth. This will fulfil the needs of the EU, and India’s young workforce will be able to contribute even more to Europe’s growth and prosperity,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during the leaders’ meeting.

 

Modi welcomed the EU’s Cascade Visa Regime. Effective April 18, 2024, the policy allows frequent travellers from India to obtain multi-entry visas valid for up to two years initially, followed by a five-year validity period if passport conditions permit.

 

The meeting between both leaders was the eighth so far and comes amid a sustained increase in bilateral interactions. In the last 18 months, India and the EU have had as many as 110 interactions across multiple levels of engagement. Both sides currently have 30 separate bilateral mechanisms and elevated their relations to a strategic partnership 20 years ago.