EU seeks to boost ties with India

Brussels, Nov 21 (IANS) The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, on Tuesday adopted a Joint Communication that sets out the EU's vision for a strategy to strengthen cooperation and the partnership with India.

This Joint Communication replaces the last Commission Communication on India of 2004, recognising that India has emerged as the fastest-growing large economy and has acquired an important geopolitical role.

The Communication aims to strengthen the EU-India Strategic Partnership by focusing on sustainable modernisation and on common responses to global and regional issues.

"India is a key player in our interconnected world", said Mogherini.

"We want to further reinforce our political, economic and people-to-people ties with India in order to address together global challenges, to promote together economic growth and to expand together business opportunities," she said,

"The EU and India are committed to seize opportunities to support and promote effective multilateralism and solutions whenever peace and stability are in danger" added the EU foreign policy chief.

As an emerging global power, India plays a key role in the current multipolar world. To maintain the rules-based global order, therefore, it is vital that the EU and India implementAeffective multilateralismAandAglobal economic governance.

The EU will seek to consolidate dialogue on multilateral issues, and to coordinate positions with India. Cooperation in the framework of the UN, the WTO and the G20 will be of priority.

The EU will seek more coordination between its initiatives and those of its Member States towards India. The EU and its Member States will work together to provide a better understanding of the EU in India. They will also work to make the EU's public diplomacy more effective.

Finally, the Joint Communication proposes that the EU considers the possibility to negotiate with India a Strategic Partnership Agreement, in order to update the 1994 EU-India Cooperation Agreement.