Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the historic India–European Union free trade agreement (FTA) comes at a time of deep global uncertainty and reflects the growing importance of trusted partnerships in a turbulent international order.
“In international relations, there are moments when history itself changes direction,” Modi said, describing the India–European Union summit and the signing of the historic free trade agreement as the beginning of a new era.
Modi said the deal with the 27-member European Union is not merely a trade pact but a comprehensive framework for economic resilience, sustainable development and strategic cooperation.
“The value of cooperation, economic synergy and strong people-to-people ties have taken our partnership to new heights,” Modi said, noting that bilateral trade between India and the EU has reached €180 billion and more than 8 lakh Indians live and work across EU countries, contributing actively to their economies.
Modi said the agreement would also boost bilateral investment flows, foster innovation partnerships and strengthen supply chains at a time when global trade routes are facing disruption. “This is not just a trade agreement. It is a new blueprint for sustainable development,” he said.
Alongside the FTA, Modi said India and the EU have also agreed on a new mobility framework that will open up opportunities for Indian students, workers and professionals in Europe, further deepening people-to-people ties.
Highlighting the strategic dimension of the partnership, Modi said cooperation between India and the EU spans strategic technologies, clean energy, digital governance and development partnerships, and will now be taken to a higher level in science, technology, defence and security.
“Defence and security cooperation is the foundation of any strategic partnership,” he said, adding that the two sides have agreed to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism, maritime security and cyber security, anchored in a rules-based international order.
Modi also pointed to growing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including opportunities for defence co-development and co-production, and said the two sides are launching a more ambitious and holistic strategic agenda for the next five years to navigate an increasingly complex global environment.
Beyond bilateral ties, the Prime Minister said India and the EU would expand trilateral projects from the Indo-Pacific to the Caribbean, focusing on sustainable agriculture, clean energy and women empowerment, reinforcing what he termed a “partnership for global good”.>
