EU-India Forum

The forum convened European and Indian experts, as well as officials from India, the EU and its member states for an exchange of views on political and strategic trends in India and in the European Union with a view to identifying concrete ways in which India and the EU can cooperate in the future. Four plenary sessions addressed policy priorities of India and the EU; traditional as well as non-traditional security – that is, security policy, as well as defence and industry matters; but also ways in which civil society can be more closely involved in the EU-India relationship so as to improve mutual understanding and strengthen ties between various actors including universities and think tanks, political parties, parliaments, and NGOs. Each session formulated concrete ways of cooperation – and the need for common analysis as a basis for exploring cooperation emerged as a common theme. The strong attendance across the board – EU member states, EEAS and European Commission, and think tankers and experts from across Europe – attests to the considerable interest in EU-India relations that bodes well for continued cooperation in the future.