‘Never been stronger’: Ursula von der Leyen hails Europe–India ties at presidential banquet

NEW DELHI: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said connected Tuesday that the governmental ties betwixt Europe and India person ne'er been stronger, pointing to person practice aft the decision of a Free Trade Agreement and the motorboat of a Security and Defence Partnership.Speaking astatine a banquet hosted successful her honour astatine Rashtrapati Bhavan connected Tuesday, von der Leyen said, “The governmental ties betwixt Europe and India person ne'er been stronger. Our standard gives america planetary influence, whether successful trade, information oregon planetary relations. This is wherefore India has risen to the apical of planetary politics, a improvement Europe welcomes.”She said the concern was entering a caller phase. “Just ideate what we tin execute if we harvester Europe’s and India’s resources.

This is precisely wherefore we are present today. It is simply a decisive infinitesimal successful our concern with our escaped commercialized agreement. And this is lone the beginning,” she said.Von der Leyen said the agreements nonstop a connection astatine a clip of planetary uncertainty. “We are sending a beardown awesome to the world. In a clip erstwhile the satellite is becoming much fractured and fractious, India and Europe are choosing dialogue, collaboration, and cooperation.”

She stressed that the concern goes beyond trade. “Today is astir much than economics. Europe and India are besides stepping up strategically. This is wherefore contiguous we launched our information and defence concern to support Indian interests and European interests and to bring stableness and reassurance successful volatile times,” she said.India and the European Union formally announced the decision of the Free Trade Agreement and a Security and Defence Partnership earlier successful the day, calling it a large measurement successful bilateral ties.Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the statement would assistance stabilise the planetary bid and boost maturation connected some sides.