The European Union is desperate to boost ties with India and encourage New Delhi to reduce its links to Russia, its main arms supplier. Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Monday called on India to align itself closer with the European Union as New Delhi attempts to balance its ties with Moscow and the West. In a speech to the Raisina Dialogue, an annual conference held in Delhi, von der Leyen said a close relationship with the European Union was in the strategic interests of India.
She said India and the EU are "natural partners" who "thrive in a world of common rules and fair competition." But von der Leyen warned that these values were threatened by Russia and China. "The reality is that the core principles that underpin peace and security across the world are at stake," she said, going on to reference China and Russia's "no limits" partnership signed shortly before the invasion of Ukraine. She said the war was affecting not just Europe, but also the Indo-Pacific, already visible through the rising cost of food and fertilizer. The Commission chief said it was in the interests of the EU for the Indo-Pacific to remain open and become more prosperous. Therefore, she said, the EU was deepening its engagement with partners in the region, including ASEAN. Von der Leyen criticized China's "debt-trap diplomacy," which critics say allows Beijing to take control of ports and vital infrastructure. Instead, she advocated for the EU's Global Gateway program, which aims to invest €300 billion in partner countries. She said India could particularly benefit from this fund in the realm of climate change and energy production, and digital technology.
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