Jaishankar expresses confidence in India-EU partnership growing further

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with his wife Kyoko Jaishankar attended Europe Day celebrations in Delhi. He noted that the ties between India and the European Union are not only consequential for the two sides but also for the world.

He expressed confidence that the partnership between India and the European Union will grow further in the times ahead.

In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, “Pleased to attend Europe Day celebrations in New Delhi today. India-EU relations are consequential not only for us both but also for the world. Our expanded exchanges, deeper economic ties, stronger technology cooperation and increased people-to-people connect tell their own story. Confident that this partnership would grow further in the times ahead.”

Notably, the External Affairs Minister was the chief guest at the event commemorating Europe Day, which is celebrated on May 9 every year to celebrate peace and unity in Europe.

Describing the relationship between India and the European Union as “consequential for the world as well,” EAM Jaishankar said the EU is not only “our largest economic partner,” but the ties run “very deep, spanning many domains.”

Extending felicitations to EU’s Ambassador to India, Herve Delphin, Jaishankar said, “I think today the relationship between India and the European Union is not only consequential for each one of us but also for the world as well. The EU is our largest economic partner, but it is more than that.”

In his address at the Europe Day celebrations, Jaishankar said, “It is an entity with which we have, really, a very deep relationship spanning many domains…not just in the relationship between New Delhi and Brussels but in the regional and sub-regional formats in which we engage each other and in a range of institutions that we both are members of and where we collaborate with each other. And of course, an important element of that is economic relationship.”

Jaishankar said that it is the need of the hour to have more “resilient and reliable” supply chains. He said, “A fact that we are one of, I think, your two partners for trade and technology council, that , in many ways underlines not just the present of our relationship and the importance as well.”

“When one looks at the challenges the world faces, the need for more resilient and reliable supply chains, the need for a stronger digital cooperation based on trust and transparency. The need, really in many ways, to risk the global economy, I think India and the European Union can both make contributions, but particularly can do so, by working with each other” the EAM added.

Recognising the contribution of the European Union to the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Jaishankar said, “We certainly attach importance to it and look forward to taking it forward.”

“Among the welcome developments for us in recent years has been the greater interest that the EU, and individual European states, have taken in the Indo-Pacific. Many countries, and the EU, as a whole, today have an approach to the Indo-Pacific that we welcome very sincerely,” he said.

Recalling the G20 Summit which took place under the chairmanship of India in September last year, he said, “We also see today a much more serious engagement in the domain of security; it is for us a great pleasure to welcome, from time to time, the defence presence of Europe in this part of the world. As a country that chaired the G20, we very much appreciated the value and contribution that the EU, and individual European states made to the G20.”

“We value very much the invitation extended to us in G7 proceedings from time to time,” the minister noted.

Meanwhile, European Union Ambassador to India, Herve Delphin said India is the country that has “gained tremendous importance for the EU,” and the partnership will “deepen further.”

In his speech at the event, Delphin said, “In this turbulent environment, there is one country, and one relationship that has gained tremendous importance for the EU, and it is India.”

In a post on X, Herve Delphin stated, “A great honour and pleasure to have @DrSJaishankar as Chief Guest to #EuropeDay2024. Building an enduring EU-India partnership is of strategic relevance for both sides but also for the world. A journey to walk together.”

In March this year, India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with four European states- Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.