SOURCE: AFI
India and the European Union are gearing up for their next round of bilateral security and defence consultations, expected to take place in New Delhi in early May. This upcoming meeting signifies a growing strategic partnership between the two sides, with space security and defence industry collaboration emerging as key areas of focus.
Sources familiar with the discussions reveal that the agenda will expand beyond the initial topics covered during the first consultations held in 2022. Back then, the dialogue centered on security concerns in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and India’s neighborhood.
This year’s meeting is expected to delve deeper into a broader range of security issues. Space security, a critical domain in the modern era, is likely to be a major point of discussion. Additionally, both parties are keen to explore avenues for boosting collaboration within the defence industry. This could potentially involve co-development and co-production of defence equipment, with India possibly participating in the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) program.
The PESCO initiative aims to foster deeper cooperation on defence matters among EU member states. India’s potential involvement would mark a significant step forward in India-EU security ties.
The upcoming consultations come amid a backdrop of increasing global security challenges. A closer India-EU partnership on security and defence could contribute significantly to maintaining regional and international stability.