Today, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell met with the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) of the Government of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in the margins of the 1^st EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

High Representative Borrell commended the work of India as current G20 President, and efforts in this capacity to also address the diverse interests of countries outside the G20 platform, in a spirit of global inter-connectedness.

High Representative Borrell reiterated to Minister Jaishankar the EU’s unwavering resolve to support Ukraine, including its efforts to secure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter. He also recalled the EU’s commitment to continue addressing the global consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, focusing on food security. The High Representative asked MEA Jaishankar for India to support Ukraine’s peace initiative, and to urge Russia to agree on the crucial extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The High Representative/Vice-President and the Minister exchanged views on the expanding security and defence pillar of the bilateral cooperation between the EU and India. They agreed to further step-up cooperation on security matters, with special relevance to cybersecurity, also in the context of the respective TTC working group. Progress in the implementation of the EU-India connectivity partnership, as well as developments in the region were also addressed. The High Representative underlined the EU’s close cooperation with India in the Indo-Pacific, as reaffirmed at the recent EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum on 13 May in Stockholm.

Finally, the High Representative expressed his expectation for the next EU-India Summit to take place in the course of 2023.