India a trusted friend, looking to elevate strategic ties: EU President

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on von der Leyen and, in a post on X, said, “Appreciate her thoughts on re-energizing India’s engagement with Europe. The wide ranging participation of Indian Ministers and EU College of Commissioners during this visit stands testimony to the importance we place on deeper India-EU ties.”

President von der Leyen is accompanied by the European Union College of Commissioners — of the 27 EU Commissioners, 22 are part of the delegation — and the second ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council and bilateral ministerial meetings will be held during the visit. She went to Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

“Touchdown in Delhi with my team of Commissioners. In an era of conflicts and intense competition, you need trusted friends. For Europe, India is such a friend and a strategic ally. I’ll discuss with @narendramodi how to take our strategic partnership to the next level,” she said in a post on X.

On her arrival, she was accorded a special welcome and was received by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel.

This is the first visit to India by the EU College of Commissioners together, and the first visit outside Europe by the new College of Commissioners that entered office in December 2024. The EU’s College of Commissioners have visited the African Union once in the past — the full College doesn’t go to another country.

Officials said the visit by the College of Commissioners to India marks a “new phase in bilateral relations”. As the two sides enter the third decade of the strategic partnership, the visit of President von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners will pave the way for further strengthening of bilateral relations based on growing convergences, they said.

The meetings at the level of leaders, the TTC Meeting and the bilateral meetings of Ministers and EU Commissioners are set to intensify and diversify India-EU engagement further, particularly in trade and investments, resilient supply chains, digital technologies, AI, semiconductors, green hydrogen, clean energy, sustainable urbanisation, water management and defence and space.

This is von der Leyen’s third visit to India. She earlier came to India on a bilateral official visit in April 2022, and for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023. Modi and she have also met regularly on the sidelines of multilateral meetings. Sources said they have met at least seven times in the past.

The two leaders are expected to take stock of ongoing negotiations for an ambitious India-EU free trade deal.

The EU is looking at enhancing trade ties with India with an aim to de-risk its relations with China. The EU is likely to call on India to bring down tariffs on cars, wine and agricultural products, an EU official indicated.

The EU is also keen to expand defence and security ties with India, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The visit is aimed at finalising the broad contours of a new strategic agenda that is expected to be unveiled at the next India-EU summit scheduled to be held in the second half of this year in India, officials said.