Beyond FTA: India, EU near deals on security and defence, mobility

Ahead of the 16th India-EU Summit, the Union Cabinet has approved some proposed agreements, including on security, defence and mobility

In the runup to the 16th India-European Union (EU) Summit on Tuesday, where the two sides are slated to announce the conclusion of negotiations for the free-trade agreement (FTA), the Union Cabinet on Saturday approved some of the proposed agreements, which are expected to include security and defence, mobility and information sharing.

 

Government sources did not specify whether the Cabinet approved all or some of these proposed pacts. Both sides have already announced that they will declare the conclusion of their FTA negotiations at Tuesday’s summit, which will be inked once the text goes through legal scrubbing. 

Apart from the trade deal, India and the EU have said that they are looking at signing the India-EU security and defence partnership, covering maritime security, cybersecurity and counterterrorism. The two sides are also set to formalise a comprehensive mobility framework to facilitate the movement of students, seasonal workers, researchers and highly skilled professionals, promote research and innovation, and conclude a “Security of Information Agreement”. 

 

The EU leadership — European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Le­yen — arrived in New Delhi over the weekend, with both sides expressing optimism about sealing what has been billed as the “mother of all trade deals”.

 

Costa and von der Leyen will be the chief guests at the 77th Republic Day parade on Monday, which is a first for the EU leadership. While von der Leyen arrived on Saturday, Costa landed in New Delhi on Sunday. Union minister Jitin Prasada received both. The two were accorded the ceremonial welcome and guard of honour on Sunday.

 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar posted on social media on Sunday evening pictures of him meeting the two EU leaders. “Confident that their upcoming discussions with Prime Minister Modi will herald a new chapter in India - European Union relations,” Jaishankar said.

 

While Costa and von der Leyen will be the chief guests at the Republic Day parade, other EU leaders that arrived in New Delhi include EU Vice President Kaja Kallas and EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič.

 

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Šefčovič. “Pleased to agree that sustained & constructive engagement between us and our teams over the past year has brought us closer to a fruitful outcome,” Goyal said on X, adding that the bloc remains a vital economic and strategic partner for India.

 

“A big pleasure to be in India. Our 10th in-person engagement with Minister Goyal - and I am confident to say we're nearing the conclusion of our FTA negotiations. The culmination of an intense past year - likely my most frequent trade engagement - reflecting its importance,” Šefčovič posted on X.