Capping 13 years of negotiations, India and the European Union have finalised a framework agreement on cooperation in the civil nuclear sector ahead of their online summit on Wednesday, officials of the 27-nation bloc said.
In the summit, the two sides are expected to unveil a five-year roadmap to further broadbase ties, launch separate dialogue on maritime security and for boosting trade and investment besides kicking off a process for effective cooperation between the CBI and Europol, they said.
The Indian delegation at the summit will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while the European side will be headed by President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The 27-nation EU is a strategically important region for India. The EU as a whole was India's largest trading partner in 2018. India's bilateral trade with the EU in 2018-19 stood at USD 115.6 billion with exports valued at USD 57.17 billion and imports worth USD 58.42 billion.
The EU officials said an announcement on firming up of the civil nuclear cooperation agreement will be made during the summit on Wednesday. The pact provides for extensive cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector.
They said both sides are expected to finalise an agreement between Europol and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on having a working arrangement to deal with organised crime and terrorism. The Europol is the EU agency for law enforcement cooperation.
The officials said both sides are also expected to launch a maritime security dialogue as part of efforts to expand defence and security cooperation.
Asked about the Afghan peace process, the officials said the EU was in touch with India and other partners involved in Afghanistan, and hoped that the peace initiative gains momentum. They said Pakistan too will have to contribute towards the Afghan peace process.
On cross-border terrorism from Pakistan and whether the issue will figure in Wednesday's talks, they said both India and Europe have been victims of the menace and the leaders are expected to reaffirm their position on dealing with the challenge.
The officials said 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 by both sides.
They said the summit is aimed at delivering concrete benefits for people in the EU and India.
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 officials said.
As the world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the leaders will discuss global cooperation and solidarity to protect lives, to mitigate the socio-economic consequences and to strengthen preparedness and response capacities, they added.
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