(NEW DELHI) – The European Union and India agreed Monday to launch the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, as a concrete effort to strengthen the decades-long EU-India partnership.
The Trade and Technology Council is expected to steer and coordinate technical and operational work on trade, trusted technology and security.
At the meeting, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen hailed the partnership with India as “one of our most important relationships for the coming decade”.
The EU currently has only one TTC – with the United States, so it is an important step to establish the second one with India, for whom it is the first with any of its partners.
“India is technologically a powerhouse,” said Ms von der Leyen, “and in the trade sector we need to unleash an enormous amount of untapped potential. I am glad that we are starting negotiations towards comprehensive trade and investment agreements.”
In a joint statement, both sides agreed that rapid changes in the geopolitical environment highlight the need for joint in-depth strategic engagement.
