Defence and security form a major part of the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union, announced on Tuesday. The two sides also inked a strategic defence partnership pact, which will help India and the EU to work more closely on counter-terrorism, maritime security, and cybersecurity.
"This will also strengthen our shared commitment to a rules-based international order. Our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region will grow, and our defence companies will gain new opportunities to work together on co-development and co-production," a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
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Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with Vice President of the European Union (EU) Commission Kaja Kallas and discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues.
Singh observed that India and the EU share the principles of democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law, which underpin the steadily deepening partnership, and added that these are the values that India seeks to translate into practical cooperation for global stability, sustainable growth, and inclusive prosperity.
Singh emphasised that Indian and EU defence industries must synergise their efforts for the larger global good and added that the partnership will become a force multiplier by integrating supply chains for building trusted defence ecosystems and future-ready capabilities.
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The defence minister said India’s defence industry can play a pivotal role in the EU's ‘ReArm initiative’, especially when the EU is seeking to rapidly diversify suppliers and de-risk dependencies.
Kallas stated that India and the EU must work together in the Indian Ocean Region and learn from each other’s best practices through joint exercises.
