The European Union and India have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in development initiatives in third countries, marking the beginning of a new phase in their partnership. This commitment was established during a meeting between Jozef Síkela, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs.
They reached a mutual agreement to collaboratively promote projects that align with Global Gateway investments under their bilateral agenda while also supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and global climate action.
This renewed partnership is grounded in a flexible, collaboration-focused approach that seeks to leverage the unique strengths of both the EU and India to create significant impacts in third countries. Priority areas identified for cooperation include digitalisation for sustainable development, digital financial inclusion, and initiatives stemming from the inaugural European Union–India Trade and Technology Council, convened in 2023. During this meeting, the parties agreed to identify joint projects aimed at developing digital public infrastructure to benefit third countries.
Furthermore, the EU and India will explore the establishment of innovative, market-based mechanisms across diverse sectors, including digitalisation and connectivity, clean energy and green mobility, sustainable agriculture and nutrition, water and sanitation infrastructure, education, health, social protection, and women’s empowerment. Through their collaborative efforts, the EU and India aspire to deliver more impactful, inclusive, and sustainable development solutions, thereby establishing a model for effective multilateral partnerships.
“To fully unlock the potential of the EU–India partnership, today we signed a Cooperation Agreement on Trilateral Cooperation with Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar. This new initiative will support pilot projects in third countries, focused on driving sustainable development with a strong emphasis on climate action and digital inclusion,” Commissioner Síkela posted on X.
The collaboration between the EU and India from 2020 to 2025 is strategically guided by the EU–India Strategic Partnership Roadmap, the EU-India Connectivity Partnership, the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and the Global Gateway Strategy.
