The European Union (EU) is exploring a security and defense partnership with India, EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday before meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Von der Leyen arrived in India on Thursday for a two-day visit with a group of her commissioners, seeking to salvage strained relations with her traditional ally, the United States. The delegation aims to deepen its diplomatic and trade ties with the world’s fifth-largest economy after US President Donald Trump announced a raft of tariffs against both friends and foes.
The EU also hopes to find common ground with India on shared concerns about China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region, building resilient supply chains, and the governance of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).
“I can announce that we are exploring a future security and defence partnership with India, in the framework of our partnership with Japan and South Korea,” the EU chief said in a public speech in the Indian capital on Friday. “This will help us step up our work against common threats, whether it is cross-border terrorism, maritime security threats, cyber attacks or a new phenomenon that we are seeing: attacks on our critical infrastructure.”
The EU is India’s largest trading partner. The EU traded goods worth €124 billion ($130 billion) in 2023. This is more than 12 percent of India’s total trade, according to Brussels. The Indian market offers many opportunities for sectors ranging from defense to agriculture, cars and clean energy. However, protected by high tariffs, it currently accounts for only 2.2 percent of the EU’s trade in goods.
The bloc is pushing for trade agreements that lower entry barriers for its cars, alcohol, wine and other products. Meanwhile, New Delhi hopes for higher EU investment in areas such as clean energy, urban infrastructure and water management. Modi has pushed for a more streamlined immigration policy for joint local enterprises and their skilled professionals.
“The EU-India free trade agreement will be the largest of its kind anywhere in the world,” von der Leyen said. “It will not be easy, but I also know that time and determination are crucial… That is why we have agreed with Prime Minister Modi to push for its conclusion this year.”
The two sides are also expected to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine. India, a supplier of its traditional military hardware and historically close to Russia, has resisted Western pressure to distance itself from Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine.
