“Warm and cordial welcome to the President of the @EU_Commission @vonderleyen in India. She will be the guest of honor of @raisinadialogue from April 25th,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted.
A warm and cordial welcome to the President of the @EU_Commission @vonderleyen in India. She will be the main guest of… https://t.co/Vt9rVK7W3E
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) 1650745636000
During her visit, the President of the European Commission will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, energy and digital transition, connectivity, security and defence, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific will be at the center of his conversations in Delhi.
The broad economic agenda of the EU and India, centered on the free trade agreement, the agreement on investment protection and the agreement on geographical indications, will also be on the agenda.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict will also feature in the discussions.
During the visit, the President will visit the campus of the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) known as TERI Gram, where she will interact with young people on the existential challenge of climate change and the need to working together for a green, digital and resilient future. .
President von der Leyen will also speak at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and discuss with Indian and European companies the security of supply chains in the energy sector.
The President of the European Commission has been invited as a guest of honor for this year’s edition of Raisina Dialogue and will address the inaugural session on 25 April.
“India and the European Union share a vibrant strategic partnership which has seen strong growth with broader and deeper cooperation in policy and strategy, trade and commerce, climate and sustainability, digital and technology, as well as people-to-people connections,” the MEA statement read.
The May 2021 India-EU Leaders’ Meeting set new milestones with the decision to resume trade negotiations and the launch of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership.
Over the last decade, trade in goods between the EU and India has increased by 41% and trade in services by 76%. According to the official EU statement, trade in goods and services between the two sides in 2020 amounted to 96 billion euros.
The EU is one of the largest investors in India, accounting for 16% of total investments received between 2015 and 2020 (83 billion euros in 2000-2021).
4,500 European companies operate in India, contributing to the creation of more than 1.5 million direct jobs and 5 million indirect jobs in the country. (ANI)