In preparation for the India-EU Summit next year, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) of the European Union (EU), which is made up of the ambassadors of the bloc’s 27 countries, will go to India for the first time this week to have talks aimed at strengthening strategic collaboration.
The PSC is an important group that advises the European Council, Military Committee, and Politico-Military Group on the shared foreign, security, and defence policy of the EU. The tour is a follow-up to the College of Commissioners’ February journey to India, which was headed by President Ursula von der Leyen.
The goal of this engagement is to conduct a thorough evaluation of policy priorities and investigate potential future collaboration on important defence, security, and foreign policy issues, especially in the run-up to the EU-India Summit. In critical areas of shared interest, such as cybersecurity, counterterrorism, maritime security and marine domain awareness, space security, defence industry cooperation, and thwarting foreign information manipulation and meddling, Pronk stated: “EU-India collaboration is vital.”
According to Pronk, the group will consider all of these matters and make suggestions to the senior political leadership of the EU to improve collaboration with India. India’s EU ambassador Hervé Delphin underlined that due to their highly aligned interests and values, the EU and India are ideal partners in the “volatile geopolitical and economic landscape.”
“Our leaders are committed to strengthening the strategic alliance between the EU and India and utilising its enormous potential. Our citizens’ safety and prosperity as well as the stability and security of the entire world can be enhanced by this mutually beneficial collaboration,” Delphin stated.
“Team Europe’s collective will to strengthen ties with India, especially in the area of defence and security cooperation,” he added, highlighting the PSC’s visit to India. Additionally, the PSC’s visit builds on the first strategic discussion between the EU and India in June.