The agreements and documents signed at the latest European Union–India summit, held in Delhi on January 27, 2026, elevate the bilateral strategic partnership to a qualitatively new level and reflect both sides’ ambition to give powerful momentum to their cooperation across a wide range of areas, including defense and security.

As the world’s fourth‑largest economy with the highest growth rate and potential, India has traditionally prioritized relations with the European Union as a whole and with its key partners, particularly Germany, France, and Italy. It is worth noting that EU countries account for around 17 percent of Indian exports. Today the European Union is India’s second‑largest trading partner after China, with trade volume exceeding $140 billion. By this measure, the EU outpaces the United States and Russia. The agreements reached at this EU‑India summit enable the parties to significantly enhance trade, economic and investment cooperation, as well as expand collaboration in the fields of defense and security.

Breakthrough in Relations

The main stumbling block in the bilateral relations had been the nearly 20‑year‑long negotiations on concluding a groundbreaking free trade agreement. This time, a final point has at last been reached: following the final round of talks on January 27, the parties managed to initial the long‑awaited strategic document, which is expected to enter into force in 6–8 months after completing the necessary internal procedures. This most significant trade agreement in the history of bilateral relations provides for the phased reduction of tariffs on exported goods and ultimately the........

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