Kaja Kallas Arrives in India on Her First Visit as EU Vice President
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it comes at an opportune moment to further strengthen the India-EU Strategic Partnership
New Delhi: Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, arrived in the national capital on Saturday on her first official visit to India.
Welcoming her visit, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it comes at an opportune moment to further strengthen the India-EU Strategic Partnership. In a post on X, he said the visit builds on the momentum of regular high-level engagements between India and the European Union.
Speaking earlier in the European Parliament, Kallas said Europe is ready to deliver on a powerful new agenda with India. She announced that the EU has agreed to move forward with the signing of a new Security and Defence Partnership, which will expand cooperation in areas such as maritime security, counterterrorism, and cyber defence. She said the agreement is expected to be signed during the upcoming EU-India Summit in New Delhi.
India and the European Union will hold their 16th summit in New Delhi, during which a new comprehensive strategic agenda is expected to be adopted.
Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is close to finalising a Free Trade Agreement with India, describing it as what some have called “the mother of all deals.” Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, she underlined Europe’s intention to expand trade and international cooperation.
Von der Leyen said the proposed agreement could create a market of two billion people, accounting for nearly a quarter of global GDP. She added that while work remains, the EU and India are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement.
The European Commission President said she will travel to India next weekend to advance discussions on the proposed trade deal and to strengthen economic relations and cooperation between Europe and India.
European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will pay a three-day state visit to India from January 25 to 27. They will be the Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations.
During the visit, the leaders will co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on January 27. They are also scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
An India-EU Business Forum is expected to be organised on the sidelines of the summit. India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004, and the 15th India-EU Summit was held virtually in July 2020.
The participation of EU leaders as Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations and the summit is expected to further deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance cooperation in key areas of mutual interest.
President da Costa and President von der Leyen are visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. Their visit comes amid advanced negotiations between India and the EU on a Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to be completed around the time of the visit.
