European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pays her respects at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial at Raj Ghat, in New Delhi, India, February 27, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who is on a two-day bilateral visit to India, paid a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, on Thursday (February 27, 2025).
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the EU Commission President recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s message of ‘universal peace’ while at Rajghat.
Ms. Leyen began the visit to expand two-way cooperation in areas of trade, investment and clean energy amid increasing global concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic policies.
She is accompanied by the European Union (EU) College of Commissioners, or senior political leaders of the 27 member States of the bloc.
The top EU leader was received at the airport by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel.
Ms. Leyen will hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (February 28, 2025) to firm up a new strategic agenda to shore up cooperation in several critical areas.
The two leaders are expected to take stock of ongoing negotiations for an ambitious India-EU free trade deal.
The EU is looking at enhancing the trade ties with India with an aim to de-risk its relations with China, an EU official said.
The EU is likely to call on India to bring down tariffs on cars, wine and agricultural products, the official indicated.
As the high-level visit comes days after the third anniversary of Ukraine war, Von der Leyen is likely to urge India to help effective implementation of Western sanctions against Russia.
The EU is also keen to expand defence and security ties with India, especially in the Indo-Pacific — a region that has been witnessing growing Chinese military muscle-flexing.
The visit is aimed at finalising the broad contours of a new strategic agenda that is expected to be unveiled at the next India-EU summit scheduled to be held in second half of this year in India, the official cited above said.
However, the main focus of the EU leadership’s visit to New Delhi is expected to be on expanding trade and economic engagement between the two sides.
Like in many other geographies, there has been concerns in Europe as well over Trump’s policy of reciprocal tariffs.
The EU is keen to expand the trade basket with India and both sides are of the view that the proposed free trade pact will significantly enhance the economic engagement.
In the financial year 2023-24, India’s bilateral trade in goods with the EU stood at USD 135 billion with exports to EU at $76 billion and imports from EU recorded at $59 billion, making the bloc New Delhi’s largest trading partner in goods.
Bilateral trade in services in 2023 stood at $53 billion comprising Indian exports worth $30 billion and imports worth $23 billion registering the highest ever trade in services.
EU’s investments in India are valued at over $117 billion with around 6,000 European companies present in India.
India’s investments in the EU are valued at around $40 billion.
Both sides are also keen to boost connectivity under the India-EU Connectivity Partnership launched in 2021.
The partnership also outlined various areas of cooperation on connectivity including in third countries.
On the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, leaders of India, EU, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and US announced an MoU committing to work together to develop a new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
Published – February 27, 2025 07:15 pm IST