Ahead of 2025 summit, India, EU agree to hold strategic foreign policy dialogue

India and EU to hold first ministerial strategic foreign policy dialogue to address geopolitical challenges and deepen cooperation.

India and the European Union on Tuesday (December 10, 2024) agreed to hold the first-ever ministerial strategic foreign policy dialogue soon to jointly navigate an array of critical challenges including geo-political tensions and Chinese belligerence in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

The decision to institute the strategic dialogue was taken during a phone conversation between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his counterpart from the 27-nation bloc Kaja Kallas.

In a post on 'X', Ms. Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said it was agreed to hold the first ministerial strategic foreign policy dialogue soon.

The move to hold the dialogue comes months before India and the EU hold summit-level talks in New Delhi that is expected to see significant outcomes in terms of deepening of cooperation in a range of areas such as security, digital public infrastructure and trade.

It is expected that the dialogue at the level of Foreign Ministers of the two sides will provide a platform to evolve joint strategies and forge deeper cooperation in confronting various geo-political challenges including from China, people familiar with the matter said.

"It was great talking to @DrSJaishankar of India this morning. Global security challenges are interconnected. We will focus together to make progress on security, trade, digital and green transition," Ms. Kallas said.

"We agreed to hold the first ministerial Strategic Foreign Policy Dialogue soon," she added.