'European Union is our largest economic partner, but…': Jaishankar on game-changing alliance with EU

I think today the relationship between India and the European Union is not only consequential for each one of us, but actually for the world as well. The European Union is our largest economic partner, but it is more than that. It is an entity with which we have really a very deep relationship spanning many domains. Today. The numbers tell their own story. The exchanges speak really of the intensity of our ties. More than that, the promise of what on the negotiations on the way we have of the free trade agreement. I think that really in many ways underlines not just the present of our relationship, but what importance for both of us as well. I think today the relationship between India and the European Union is not only consequential for each one of us, but actually for the world as well. The European Union is our largest economic partner, but it is more than that. It is an entity with which we have really a very deep relationship spanning many domains. And it is expressed, Ambassador, not just in the relationship between New Delhi and Brussels, but in the in the aggregate of different bilateral relationships in the regional and sub regional formats in which we engage each other and in a range of institutions that we are both members of and where we collaborate with each other. Of course an important element of that is the economic relationship. And today the numbers tell their own story. The exchanges speak really of the intensity of our ties and perhaps more than that, the promise of what on the negotiations on the way we have of the free trade agreement, the fact that we are one of, I think, your two partners for the Trade and Technology Council. I think that really in many ways underlines not just the present of our relationship, but what importance for both of us as well. I spoke about this relationship being very consequential because when one looks at the challenges that the world faces, the need for more resilient and reliable supply chains, the need for a stronger digital cooperation based on trust and transparency, the need really in many ways today to derisk the global economy. I think India and the European Union can both make contributions, but particularly do so by working with each other. I also take the opportunity to recognize the contribution of the European Union to an initiative which was agreed upon last year, the India, Middle East, Europe Economic Corridor. We certainly attach enormous importance to it and look forward to taking it forward. Among the welcome developments for us in recent years has been the greater interest that the EU and individual European states have taken in the Indo Pacific, many countries and the EU as a whole today, as an approach to the Indo Pacific that we welcome very sincerely and we also see today a much more serious engagement in the domain of security. We just for us a great pleasure to welcome from time to time the defense presence of Europe as well in this part of the world.