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28. INDIA-EU BILATERAL SUMMIT LIKELY NEXT MONTH: EU READIES
ACTION PLAN FOR KEY DELIVERABLE
The plans for the 14th bilateral summit were dis- be the second major loan by the EIB for an urban
cussed at a meeting between EU’s high rep- mass transportation project after the €400-million
resentative and vice president Federica Mogher- loan it extended earlier for the recently-launched
ini and Indian external affairs minister Sushma Lucknow Metro project.
Swaraj at New Delhi in April.
Brussels, however, was concerned with the
Notwithstanding the failure to kick-start free stagnation in the FTA discussions and pointed out
trade agreement discussions with India, the the “protectionist approach” of Indian negotiators
European Union has firmed up plans to widen its in the talks, especially in the context of the ‘Make
strategic and business arrangements. For this, it in India’ project.
has prepared an action plan of key deliverables
it expects to achieve at the India-EU bilateral “India’s national development priorities are
summit expected to be held early next month, such that it drives the negotiators to having a
senior officials at the European Council and the protectionist approach. We have seen several
European External Action Service told The Indian countries in Asia that, after opening up their
Express on the condition of anonymity. markets, witnessed tremendous growth,” the
official said.
“A string of joint declarations along with a concrete
deliverables roadmap are expected to be inked A European Council official also expressed
and these would be around climate change, clean “optimism” about the trade pact discussions
energy, maritime security, naval cooperation, and said that the upcoming bilateral summit is
space research, to combatting cybercrime and expected to prepare the grounds for kicking off the
even ringing in an ambitious partnership for FTA talks between India and the EU, which started
developing smart cities by linking EU’s urban in 2007.The 13th India-EU Summit, which happened
agenda with the Modi government’s 100 smart at Brussels last year, had concluded without a
cities mission,” according to one of the officials consensus on the free trade deal known as the
cited above. Broadbased Trade and Investment Agreement,
even as progress was made in bilateral cooperation
The plans for the 14th bilateral summit were in other fields — ranging from foreign policy and
discussed at a meeting between EU’s high counterterrorism to collaboration in outer space.
representative and vice president Federica
Mogherini and Indian external affairs minister (Source:- http://indianexpress.com/article/business/business-
Sushma Swaraj at New Delhi in April. Both parties others/india-eu-bilateral-summit-likely-next-month-eu-
had discussed common concerns like trade, readies-action-plan-for-key-deliverables-4842568/ dated 15th
counter-terror cooperation, maritime security and August 2017)
defence cooperation.
The summit is also likely to witness the European
Investment Bank (EIB) announcing a loan for
the Bengaluru Metro project, the official said,
without divulging the loan amount. This would
47 August-September-2017
