India’s World was honoured to host President von der Leyen, and is delighted to publish the full transcript of her speech:
New Delhi, 28 February 2025
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to be back here in India for such a landmark occasion for the EU-India partnership. Returning here, now for the third time as President of the Commission, is always a welcome excuse to immerse myself in your culture and democracy, your history and your modernity. And it was with real privilege and pride that I started this visit by laying a wreath in honour of Mahatma Gandhi yesterday.
It was of course Gandhi himself who famously said that a nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. This is certainly true of India, its people and its breathtaking cultural heritage and history. And above and beyond any economic or diplomatic relations, I believe it is culture that binds the people of India and Europe together. We have a shared love of sport, art and literature. Our students and academics work and deepen their knowledge together. And our companies do business together on a scale almost unmatched around the world. All of this makes us natural and longstanding partners as we start our third decade of strategic partnership.
But, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I believe what lies ahead is far greater than what has already been. Although history can always be a useful guide for how to approach the world of today. If we think back to 1947, we see how the soul of this great nation and its struggle through history propelled India to its independence. And looking back at the voices of the time, we also hear and feel the resolve and the determination of India to build prosperity, security and democracy for its future generations. As I stand here today in this vibrant and independent country, the largest democracy in the world, the words spoken at the time were as prophetic as they were poignant. At the same time in Europe, we were trying to put back together the pieces of our Continent ravaged by war. The countries of Europe chose to come together. To tie their destinies, their security and prosperity to one another in order not to repeat the mistakes of our past. This is how the seeds of our European Union were planted.
The point is that the world then was fragile, fractured and on the verge of change that would define the next eight decades. And both Europe and India, albeit in very different circumstances, understood the need to come together. I believe this is a clarion call for all of us as we stand here in 2025 at another inflection point in history. I do not need to describe the geopolitical and geoeconomic headwinds that both the EU and India are confronted with. We have all seen how countries are weaponising their sources of strength against each other whether natural resources or new technologies, or economic and military coercion. We have seen how supply chains and dependencies are used to gain influence or drive wedges between nations and regions. We have seen a more aggressive posture from major powers and of course the conflicts that have destabilised entire regions. How countries, in particular in the Global South, are looking for alternatives to what the international system has offered them. And we have seen clear attempts to split off parts of the world into isolated fragments.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This world is fraught with danger. But I believe this modern version of great power competition is an opportunity for Europe and India to reimagine their partnership. In many ways, the EU and India are uniquely placed to respond to this challenge together. India is the largest democracy and soon to be in the top 4 of the world’s largest economies. It is the leading voice of the Global South. Europe is a unique cross-border democracy and open economy. The largest trading partner for some 80 countries around the world. But this partnership makes sense not only because of our shared values or our close ties. Or even because of our respective geographies, demographies or economies. But it is because our interests in this hyper-competitive world align more often than not. We both stand to lose from a world of spheres of influence and isolationism. And we both stand to gain from a world of cooperation and working together. Because we can offer each other distinctive alternatives and tools to make ourselves stronger, more secure and more sovereign in today’s world. The kind of offer that cannot really be replicated by others.
This is why the EU and India have the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this Century. And it is why it will be a cornerstone of Europe’s foreign policy in the years and decades to come. So, I want this visit to be the start of this new era. Prime Minister Modi and I share the same view. It is time to take our EU-India Strategic Partnership to the next level. For our own security and our prosperity. For the common global challenges that we face. And for the benefit of our respective regions and our partners around the world.
Over the last thirty years we have done a lot together. But in truth we have only been scratching the surface of the potential that is there. So, this is not a time to place limits on our cooperation. Or to get stuck looking for agreement on every issue of regional or global concern. It is time to be pragmatic and ambitious. And to realign our priorities for today’s realities. Allow me to very briefly map out my vision of the three areas which can take our partnership to the next level. The first is trade and technology. The second is security and defence. And the third is connectivity and global partnership.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The first area where I believe we can make real progress is on delivering prosperity in Europe and in India. Here we have a real shared interest and sense of purpose. India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision will help to transform the economy and create millions of jobs from traditional manufacturing sectors to high-tech industries and innovation. Europe is striving towards the same goal through our own economic and industrial transformation. I believe that we can help each other to reach our goals. Make in India and “made in Europe” can work together to drive our industries forward. And our common interests in de-risking our economies, in particular in sensitive technological areas, can help drive our economic security. Let’s take some examples. We are both looking to diversify some of our most critical value chains. From our side this is for example the case on batteries or pharma, semiconductors, clean hydrogen or defence.
And we can support each other to achieve that. For that we need to have an ambitious trade and investment partnership. Today, the EU is India’s largest trading partner, sitting ahead of both the US and China. European companies create 8 million jobs here in India. But we could do so much more by improving market access and tackling the barriers to trade. And I believe this can be a launchpad to strengthen cooperation in key sectors which will drive the global economy as we head towards midcentury. From semi-conductors to clean tech, from AI – we just had a summit in Paris, and the next one will be here – to high performance computing and digital public infrastructure. By investing together in this tech and by building strong supply chains, we can create a real advantage for ourselves in today’s competitive global economy. And we should draw on each other’s skills and talents. Such as our academics and researchers, to help make that happen.
A free trade agreement between the EU and India would be the largest deal of this kind anywhere in the world. I am well aware it will not be easy. But I also know that timing and determination counts, and that this partnership comes at the right moment for both of us. This is why we have agreed with Prime Minister Modi to push to get it done during this year. And you can count on my full commitment to make sure we can deliver.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The second broad area for renewed cooperation is security and stability. Here again we have many shared interests. Wars, conflicts and coups have erupted in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, in Africa and across different regions. And what happens in one part of the world matters to both Europe and India. Even if we sit far apart on the map. Because peace, security and prosperity are indivisible in this world. In Europe, Russia’s goal is to tear Ukraine apart. And we should be clear about what is at stake here. A failed Ukraine would not only weaken Europe. And that is why we have taken historic steps to support Ukraine and its future. But a failed Ukraine would also intensify the challenges in other parts of the world. Not least in this region. Other countries around the world are watching very closely whether there is any impunity if you invade a neighbour or violate international borders. Or whether there are real deterrents. This is why we want any peace talks to lead to a just and lasting peace. With a free and prosperous Ukraine, that can join the European family. And Europe is ready to live up to its responsibility when it comes to security and defence. We will step up our defence spending to ensure that Member States have access to the full spectrum of capabilities that this new reality demands. But we also want to step up cooperation with crucial partners like India.
This is why I can announce that we are exploring a future Security and Defence Partnership with India in the mould of the partnerships we have with Japan and South Korea. This will help us step up our work to counter common threats whether on cross-border terrorism, maritime security threats, cyberattacks or the new phenomenon we see: attacks on our critical infrastructure. There is a lot that we can build on. For instance, the recent collaboration on maritime security. And I am delighted at India’s interest in joining defence industrial projects under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation. India is working hard to diversify its military supply and to access new capabilities. And I believe we can help each other to deliver on our security objectives.
For instance, we can join forces where we have technology and expertise, such as on cyber security, space and drones. This is not only about stability in our respective regions. But it is also a key part in strengthening our economic security and ultimately our prosperity. And this is why security should be a core part of our new strategic partnership with India.
Ladies and Gentlemen, The third and final element I will touch on is the need to deepen our connectivity links and our global partnerships. And here there is a lot that Europe can learn from India. India has been a leading voice in bringing to the fore the concerns of many countries in the Global South. Addressing these issues becomes all the more important in a world where major powers are pulling away or even pulling at the seams of the international system. And I believe India and Europe have a real opportunity to step up. To invest in each other, and to invest in our global partnerships. This is in our core economic and national security interest. India can play a unique role as a bridge between the Global South and the rest of the world. Between the Indo-Pacific and Europe. And Europe is ready to invest to help bring that to life. Through Global Gateway, our EUR 300 billion global infrastructure offer, we can invest in projects to transport energy across India, and between India and the world. And this is just the start of what can be done to build this connectivity between India, Europe and the regions between us.
The India-Middle East-Europe corridor launched here in New Delhi in 2023 during India’s G20 Presidency is a historic opportunity to bring this to life. It’s an amazing project. This can be a modern golden road – directly connecting India, the Arabian Gulf and Europe. With a rail link, that will make trade between India and Europe 40% faster. With an electricity cable and a clean hydrogen pipeline. And a high-speed data cable to link some of the most innovative digital ecosystems in the world. This corridor is much more than “just” a railway or a cable. It is a green and digital bridge across continents and civilisations. And it can help bring us closer together and boost trade on everything from batteries to clean hydrogen and digital services. This can be a win-win-win for Europe, India and our partners. We are ready to invest in concrete projects that can already start making these connections happen. Europe is open for business, and we are ready to invest in our common future with India.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Investing in our common future. This is the driving force of this new era of partnership between Europe and India. In troubled times great opportunities come. And I believe 2025 is a historic window of opportunity to build an indivisible partnership between Europe and India. Our interests align. Our commitment is iron-clad. And if it can be done anywhere, it can be done here. Because as Romain Rolland – the French writer and great admirer of India said: “If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India” And today we are one step closer to making our common dream a reality.
Thank you and long live our friendship
