Why India-EU partnership matters amid global crises, explains Jaishankar

Amid seismic changes in a mutating world order, External Affairs Minister S.  Jaishankar has projected the India-EU relationship as “a stabilising factor” and called for the speedy conclusion of an India-EU trade deal that has been under discussion for over two decades. In an overarching big-picture speech at the IIC-Bruegel seminar, Dr Jaishankar underlined the growing importance of the India-EU partnership is a shifting world order marked by multiple crises and sharpening geopolitical rivalries. India’s relationship with the European Union (EU) is more important than before at a time when the world is witnessing major shifts in areas ranging from politics to energy and technology, Mr Jaishankar said at a seminar organised by the India International Centre (IIC) and the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel.

“In a world that promises to be so volatile and so uncertain, a stronger India-EU relationship can be an important stabilising factor,” he said. Alluding to “greater strategic awakening” in Europe and growing security, defence and technology cooperation between India and the EU, the minister said: “The bottom line is that our India-EU relationship is more important than ever before.”

The minister called for the speedy conclusion of the India-EU trade deal, which can be a game-changer for transforming economic relations between the two sides. Negotiations for a broad-based trade deal were relaunched in June 2022, leading to nine rounds of talks between trade negotiators of the two sides. “On the FTA, I think it is really time we get along with it. We established the Trade and Technology Council to deal with controlled technologies and digital transactions,” Jaishankar said.