ISAS Briefs

On 6 October 2017, the 14th annual summit between India and the European Union (EU) took place in New Delhi, India, with the stated aim of deepening their strategic partnership and advancing collaboration in India’s priority sectors for growth. Aside from reaffirming shared principles and values, three important pacts were signed. The India-EU relationship has evolved gradually over 55 years of diplomatic engagement. In 2004, India became a strategic partner of the EU and the two sides launched free trade negotiations in 2007. However, stalled negotiations led to an impasse in 2013 and a summit was held in 2016 after a four-year hiatus. Following the meeting in 2017, there is reason for cautious optimism about putting the partnership to work.