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India and the European Union committed to a framework for strategic cooperation until 2025 and vowed to cooperate on their response to the coronavirus pandemic, and at the United Nations Security Council.
The assurances came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with the European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen via video-conferencing on Wednesday.
The 15th Summit between India and the European Union (EU) was held in a virtual format on 15th July 2020. India was represented by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The EU was represented by Mr. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
The leaders decided to strengthen the EU-India Strategic Partnership, based on shared principles and values of democracy, freedom, rule of law, and respect for human rights, aiming at delivering concrete benefits for the people in the EU and India. In today’s complex world, they, as the world’s two largest democracies, affirmed their determination to promote effective multilateralism and a rules-based multilateral order with the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core.
They will bolster their cooperation in international fora to reinforce international security, strengthen preparedness and response for global health emergencies, enhance global economic stability and inclusive growth, implement the Sustainable Development Goals and protect the climate and the environment. In this context, the EU is looking forward to India’s G20 Presidency in 2022 and its membership in the UN Security Council in 2021-2022.
As the world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the leaders agreed that global cooperation and solidarity are essential to protect lives and to mitigate the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic. The leaders emphasized the importance of strengthening our preparedness and response capacities, of sharing information in a free, transparent and prompt manner, and of improving international response including through relevant international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), drawing on lessons learned from the current global responses.
The EU and India will enhance their partnership in support of sustainable modernization. They will boost cooperation to support the clean energy transition, resource efficiency and circular economy, and the necessary technological leaps while opening new business opportunities. The EU and India will further develop cooperation on smart and sustainable urbanization, information and communication technology, transport, space, and health security. They agreed to jointly tackle water issues, air pollution, plastic and marine litter. Exchanges on research and innovation will be increased to further underpin progress in these areas.
