By Sriram Lakshman

Copyright thehindu

The European Union has set out a plan to upgrade its strategic ties with India, even as it warned that India’s military exercises with Russia and its purchase of Russian oil are risks to the growing strategic ties between Brussels and New Delhi.

The European Commission and the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas released ‘A New Strategic EU-India Agenda’ on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) in Brussels, and urged the European Parliament and Council (i.e., the heads of member states) to adopt it.

Ms. Kallas called India a “crucial” partner for the EU and said closer ties with New Delhi as she outlined the strategy that encompassed trade, technology, security, defence and climate. She was speaking at a televised press conference in Brussels on Wednesday (September 17, 2025).

“The EU and India have the potential and determination to shape one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century,” said the document.

Brussels and New Delhi are in the midst of negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA), with the EU’s trade chief Maroš Šefčovič visiting New Delhi last week for talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

“We are also negotiating an agreement of exchange of classified information and deepening ties between defence industry [sic],” Ms. Kallas said, adding that there were hesitations here among the College of Commissioners (comprised of Commissioners from the 27 EU countries).

“India’s participation in Russia’s military exercises and its purchase of Russian oil stand in the way of closer ties, because ultimately, our partnership is not only about trade, but also about defending rules-based international order,” Ms. Kallas said.

“It is of utmost importance to the EU that any enablement of the war be curtailed,” the strategy document says.

The negotiations with New Delhi would address these challenges with the aim of adopting a joint roadmap at the next EU-India summit in early 2026, according to Ms. Kallas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “delighted” by the adoption of the new strategic document.

“We remain committed to an early and peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” he said, reflecting on his phone call on Wednesday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

India and the EU have been seeking to bolster ties in the face of increasing geopolitical uncertainty and challenges in their trade relationships with the U.S. The Trump administration has slapped a 25% tariff on India (in addition to a ‘reciprocal’ tariff of 25%), straining ties between New Delhi and Washington. The relationship has begun to thaw in recent days. U.S. President Donald Trump greeted Mr. Modi for his birthday over a phone call on Tuesday.

Trade between India and the EU has grown over 90% in the last decade, Mr. Šefčovič said at Wednesday’s press conference, but the two sides had just “scratched the surface”, according to the Commissioner. Brussels and New Delhi are hoping to conclude a trade deal by the end of the year.

Mr. Šefčovič said he was in frequent touch with Mr. Goyal but wished that there had been “more progress” on talks during his visit to New Delhi last week. He also said that Indian trade negotiators have a reputation for being “tough”.

Tariff barriers

On the question of agricultural tariffs, Mr. Sefcovic said that the issue was not about numbers but rather about whether what was being offered was commercially meaningful, after taking into account tariff and non-tariff barriers. He cited India’s Qualitative Control Orders (QCOs) as an example and said they were something the EU should consider in its negotiations.

The 14th round of trade talks is due to take place in Brussels from October 6-10.

Quizzed specifically on India’s participation in the recent Zapad-2025 military exercises led by Russia, Ms. Kallas said she had spoken to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday. She reiterated that exercises with Russia and buying oil were issues to the relationship.

“The question is always whether we leave this void to be filled by somebody else. So we try to fill it ourselves,” she said in response to the question on cooperation with India. She responded similarly, when quizzed on India’s apparent détente with China.

The College of Commissioners had agreed that the EU should deepen ties with India to “not really push them into Russia’s corner”.

Ms. Kallas cited the principle of ‘nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’ several times, including when asked about how the trade talks would be impacted if India did not take on the EU’s concerns regarding Russia.