Historic India-EU deal signed: Kaja Kallas calls it a milestone for trade, security and cooperation

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas on Tuesday welcomed the agreement, stating that India and Europe have the potential to significantly deepen cooperation across multiple sectors, including trade, security and defence.India and the European Union have concluded long-running negotiations on a landmark free trade agreement (FTA), a move leaders on both sides have described as historic, with European Union officials underlining its importance at a time of shifting global power dynamics and rising geopolitical uncertainty.Kallas was speaking at the conference “Europe, India and a Changing World Order” in the national capital, where she said that while negotiations had taken time, Europe was committed to honouring the agreement.Explaining the EU’s approach to long-term partnerships, Kallas said predictability had become a key value in today’s uncertain world.“When I go around the world, I see more and more countries want to build partnerships with Europe because we are predictable, which is nowadays becoming a value. We take a long time to negotiate deals, but when we do, we stick to them. We implement them, and that has become something that is of value,” she said.

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Stressing the importance of trust, she added, “When we get there finally, we really keep our promises, and we keep our agreements. I think this is extremely important.”Kallas said the FTA opens the door for wider engagement beyond trade. “We can do a lot together in different fields, and we have mapped different fields when it comes to security, defence, foreign policy, maritime security, and cyber security,” she said, noting that negotiations in these areas were either underway or being planned.She underlined the growing geopolitical context in which the agreement has been finalised, saying that there was strong interest on both sides to strengthen cooperation as some global powers attempt to reshape the international order.“I think the feeling in the room is really genuine, genuine interest for building trade relations, but also other issues when it comes to geopolitical picture as well. Because we see superpowers wanting to rewrite the multilateral order, where everything is divided,” Kallas said.Referring to her own background, she added, “Coming from a small country, I can honestly say this is not in the interest of small and medium-sized countries. India is not a small country. But still, I think, there is room for cooperation in Europe. The European Union and India also have a relationship regarding foreign policy.”Kallas also spoke about Europe’s security concerns, particularly in light of tensions with Russia and said the EU was looking to strengthen its defence capabilities.“We have this existential threat coming from Russia at this time. We have our member states increasing their defence expenditure, and then it also comes down to where you can buy capabilities and with whom you can incorporate,” she said.She highlighted that while Europe would prioritise its own industry, partnerships with countries like India could be mutually beneficial. “If the European industry is not able to deliver, then we can buy outside, and I think the competition that comes from such a big country like India is also beneficial for our industries to work to find solutions,” she said.Earlier, a joint statement issued by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the broader significance of the partnership.“We are not only making our economies stronger. We are also delivering security for our people in an increasingly insecure world,” the statement said, announcing the launch of the first-ever India-EU security and defence partnership.Calling it a “landmark departure”, the leaders said the partnership would deepen cooperation on maritime security, cyber and hybrid threats, space security and counterterrorism, and would include negotiations on a Security of Information Agreement.Kallas also reiterated this message in a post on X, after signing a new EU–India Security and Defence Partnership with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.“When two major democracies act together, we build stronger shared security,” she wrote, adding that the pact would launch an annual security and defence dialogue and deepen cooperation on maritime security, cyber issues and counterterrorism.“As the global order shifts, the EU will continue to deepen its diplomatic and economic ties across the world. Strong partnerships multiply our strength,” she said.