India and European Union to adopt Roadmap 2025 towards a global partnership

New Delhi: India and EU at their 15th Summit on Wednesday is expected to adopt a new Joint Agenda for Cooperation, the Roadmap 2025, that would enable to forge a global partnership amid belligerence and unilateralism.
The summit will be the opportunity to adopt the "EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025", a document that will guide cooperation between the EU and India over the next five years. There will also be a joint summit statement summarising the results of the meeting.

The summit will be an opportunity to strengthen the EU-India Strategic Partnership, stressing the shared principles and values of democracy, freedom, rule of law, and respect for human rights, aiming at delivering concrete benefits for people in the EU and India. The leaders will discuss cooperation in security, climate, environment, trade and investment, digital economy and connectivity, sources informed.

The leaders will discuss the promotion of transparent, viable, inclusive, sustainable, comprehensive and rules-based connectivity, and the importance of seeking synergies.

The leaders are expected to reaffirm their determination to promote effective multilateralism and the rules-based multilateral order with the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its core. They will discuss the reform of the WTO and coordination on global economic governance in the framework of the G20. India will hold the G20 Presidency in 2022 and will be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2021-2022.

The leaders are expected to discuss global and regional issues and to reaffirm their strong commitment to global peace and security as well as the importance of protecting and promoting human rights, gender equality and women's empowerment.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU and India will discuss global cooperation and solidarity to protect lives, to mitigate the socio-economic consequences and to strengthen preparedness and response capacities, sources said, adding, the leaders are expected to highlight the importance of information sharing and of improving the international response through the relevant international organisations, in particular the World Health Organisation.

The summit will be an opportunity to discuss and identify synergies in healthcare, the production of pharmaceuticals and vaccines, research and development, diagnostics and treatment. The leaders are expected to call for the future COVID-19 vaccine to become a global common good. They will also discuss the importance of the manufacturing of medical supplies and ensuring a continued flow of these, as well as of agricultural products, raw materials and other goods and services, it has been learnt.

Keeping the global trading system open, supporting the global economy, and assisting the most vulnerable countries will also be part of the discussions. The leaders will also exchange views on the geopolitical situation and global cyber resilience, it has been further learnt.

The summit will be an opportunity to strengthen the EU-India Strategic Partnership. The leaders will discuss how to further develop their trade and investment relations and support sustainable growth and jobs on both sides.

The summit will serve to enhance the EU-India partnership in support of sustainable modernisation and reaffirm the shared commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The leaders will also discuss ways to harness human-centric digitalisation to develop inclusive economies and societies, including as regards data protection, 5G and artificial intelligence, sources informed.