India–European Union, like many other bilateral and multilateral relations has seen ups and downs over the decades. The EU itself has moved away from being a model for India and other South Asian countries to adopting and adapting to itself. The endless hiccups that the EU has faced, over greater political integration and economic crises, has also impacted its relations with India.
It is in this context that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the EU headquarters in Brussels needs to be reviewed. The impact of the discussions at the India–EU Summit remains to be seen. Failure of the Euro to emerge as a strong currency has not helped matters even within the EU, and already, after the Summit, India has indicated that the delay in the finalisation of a Free Trade Agreement between the two sides is because of a lack by the European Union.
This discussion will focus on economic and political issues impacting India–EU relations in the present and in the future.
Amb. M. Ganapathi will lead the talk. He is a veteran diplomat, who retired as Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India.
