The European Union-India relationship is on a firm upward trajectory and has emerged as a “safe investment” at a time when global dynamics around trade, technology, migration, and information are increasingly being “weaponised,” EU Ambassador to India Herv Delphin said on Thursday.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Ananta Centre, Delphin described the recent visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU College of Commissioners to India as a “historic” and symbolic show of “confidence and trust” in the partnership.
The EU-India free trade agreement (FTA), which both sides aim to conclude by the end of 2025, could serve as a “turbocharger” for economic cooperation, the envoy said. While acknowledging the complexities involved, Delphin stated, “There is a clear statement on both sides that not a single issue will block the whole lot. We will go ahead,”
He emphasized that both the EU and India are committed to a rules-based global order and share growing intersections of economic, political, and security interests. “This partnership has grown organically,” he said, “and when you see how trade, technology, migration, and energy are being weaponised, we represent for each other a safe investment.”
Delphin also framed the EU as a “collective force” navigating a turbulent global environment. He noted that major powers like Russia, China, and the U.S. pay close attention to the EU, often critically, which, he said, “probably means that we matter.”
Describing the EU’s evolving posture, Delphin referred to what he called the “rearmament” of the bloc—military, economic, and societal. “We have fundamentally changed our DNA,” he said. “We remain an open and democratic society, but we don’t want that openness turned into a vulnerability.”
Referring to recent geopolitical events including Brexit and shifting US-EU relations under former President Trump, Delphin said the EU has managed to navigate a “series of crises” and is now “readying itself for the new normal.”
On the global stage, he noted that the EU and India are increasingly acting as “bridgeheads” for broad coalitions, advocating democratic values, human-centric development, and resilience in the face of coercive tactics.
“We both reject wars of aggression, global terrorism, and economic coercion,” Delphin said. “As large democracies, we attach central importance to human values.”
He also cited von der Leyen’s words during her India visit, calling the EU-India relationship a “consequential partnership” not only for both parties but for the wider world. “We both stand to benefit,” Delphin said, “and perhaps this is the time to truly deliver.”
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(With inputs from PTI)