New Delhi: The European Union’s Political and Security Committee, comprising 27 envoys of the bloc, will undertake a five-day visit to India beginning Wednesday as the two sides explore ways to impart a new momentum to overall ties, including by sealing the long-negotiated free trade deal.
The influential committee headed by Ambassador Delphine Pronk, during its first visit to India, will hold strategic discussions with high-level Indian government officials, private sector defence representatives, civil society organisations and leading think-tanks.
The Political and Security Committee (PSC) is composed of EU member states’ ambassadors based in Brussels and is chaired by the European External Action Service.
Ambassador Delphine Pronk, the chair of the PSC, added that the India-EU partnership is vital in areas such as “counterterrorism, cybersecurity, hybrid threats, maritime security and maritime domain awareness, space security, defence industry cooperation and countering foreign information manipulation”.
All of the topics mentioned above are set to be a part of the agenda during the PSC’s visit to India.
The visit builds on the earlier one by 21 Commissioners of the EU along with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in February. This visit by the College of Commissioners (equivalent to the Union Cabinet) to New Delhi was the first ever in the history of ties between the two partners.
Agricultural Commissioner Christophe Hansen and trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic are also visiting India this week to push the negotiations for the India – EU FTA.
The raft of diplomacy between the two sides is set to pick up pace in the next three months. The EU is likely to announce its new strategic vision for ties with India later this month, according to reports.
The increasing engagement in key areas comes amid turmoil in the global geopolitical situation, especially the trading regime, which has come under strain as US President Donald Trump has unveiled various measures to promote his “America first” agenda. From tariffs on every country in the world, to striking investment deals with long-time allies, Trump has looked to reshape the global trading regime from the one created 80 years ago at the end of World War II.
