EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioners to visit India February 27-28 Today World News

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners will visit India on February 27 and 28, the government and Commission announced. The visit comes early in the Commission’s new term, which began in December last year.
| Photo Credit: AP

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners will visit India on February 27 and 28, the government and Commission announced. The visit comes early in the Commission’s new term, which began in December last year.

The visit would “ pave the way for further strengthening of bilateral relations based on growing convergences”, a government statement said.

The visit comes on the heels of a tumultuous week in Europe, with European countries scrambling to react to a sudden, even if not unexpected, upheaval in relations with the U.S. This was set off by a clean departure of U.S. President Donald Trump from longstanding U.S. positions on Russia, Ukraine and the rest of Europe which included Ukraine and European countries being excluded from direct access to talks between the U.S. and Russia in Riyadh on Tuesday.

“The visit emphasises the importance of strengthening ties in key areas vital to the prosperity and security of both Europe and India,” a statement from the Commission said. The visit will consist of a plenary session co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms Von der Leyen, who is the executive head of the EU.

Commissioners, each of whom holds a portfolio, will meet their counterparts in New Delhi individually and Mr Modi will hold bilateral talks with Ms Von der Leyen followed by “a press point”, the statement said.

The second Trade and Technology Council (TTC) will also convene during the visit, the Commission announced. The TTC is a platform used by the EU, so far exclusive to its dialogues with India and the U.S., to discuss the digital economy, clean technology, trade and investment. The EU will be represented by Vice-President Virkkunen, High Representative Kaja Kallas, and Commissioners Maroš Šefčovič and Ekaterina Zaharieva. 

“ Concrete topics of discussion will include collaboration on digital public infrastructure and its compatibility, as well as resilience of key value chains and cooperation on global trade issues,” the Commission said.

In a statement to mark the visit, Ms Von der Leyen emphasized the strengthening of links between India and the EU in the areas of trade, technology, economic security and resilient supply chains and “reinforced security and defence cooperation”.

This is the third visit of Ms Van der Leyen to India in the last few years. She was previously in India for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023. Her last bilateral visit was in early 2022, when India and the EU resumed negotiations for a “free trade” agreement (FTA) in 2022, with the visit. The EU announced that the next round of negotiations are scheduled for March 10 -15 in Brussels.

The EU is India’s largest trade partner in terms of goods. Trade in goods between India and the EU was  €124 billion ($130 bn)  in 2023, with an increase of around 90% in value over the last decade, according to EU data. Trade in services was an estimated US$ 51.45 billion as per Indian government data.

“In this era of intense geostrategic competition, Europe stands for openness, partnership, and outreach. We seek to deepen ties with one of our most trusted friends and allies—India,” Ms Von der Leyen said in a statement, adding, “ Europe and India are like-minded partners, bound by the shared conviction that democracy best serves the people.”

Rights organisations have asked Ms Von der Leyen and her colleagues to raise human rights issues with the government during their visit. In a letter dated February 13, the organisations, which include Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch, highlighted laws such as the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FRCA), the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), as well as internet shutdowns, allegations around Pegasus spyware and the arrest of Kashmiri journalists.