EU, India agree to broaden ties amid Ukraine war

FE Team | Published: April 25, 2022 23:03:32

Ursula von der Leyen

NEW DELHI, Apr 25 (Reuters): The European Union (EU) and India agreed on Monday to set up a trade and technology council to step up cooperation, as the bloc's chief held talks with officials in New Delhi who have seen a flurry of top visits since the start of the Ukraine war.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is on a two-day trip to India's capital, part of Western efforts to encourage New Delhi to reduce ties to Russia, its main weapons supplier, following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
India has refrained from explicitly condemning Russia's invasion, while calling for an immediate end to violence. Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation".
The United States is the only other country that has a technical agreement with the EU similar to the one signed on Monday with India.
"I think this relationship today is more important than ever," von der Leyen said in her opening remarks during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We have a lot in common but we are also facing a challenging political landscape."
Meanwhile, the European Union's chief executive will seek to increase sales of European military equipment to India and relaunch talks on a free trade deal when she meets India's prime minister in New Delhi on Monday, a senior EU official said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's visit is part of Western efforts to encourage India to reduce its ties to Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and follows a trip last week by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
"There are a whole host of Western leaders reaching out to India right now to see what alternatives we can provide," the senior EU official said.