Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen agreed to conclude a long-pending free trade agreement between the two nations by the end of this year. The deal aims to boost cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, connectivity, and defense. Despite past negotiations being stuck on issues like market access for products, both parties expressed optimism about reaching an agreement.
The European Union is seeking to finalize a deal with India ahead of potential US tariffs, imposed by President Donald Trump. von der Leyen stated her commitment to delivering the deal, calling it “time to be pragmatic and ambitious.” The EU-India partnership has already shown significant growth, with exports and imports between the two countries reaching $130 billion in 2023-24.
The agreement marks a new era for the strategic partnership between India and the European Union, with von der Leyen expressing her hope that it would become one of the defining partnerships of this century.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/india-eu-modi-ursula-von-der-leyen-309ab4795ad0206b66fe20bef5ca9a92