The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, who is bringing an record delegation of 21 EU Commissioners with her, is set to touch down in India on Feb 27 for a two-day visit signifying to boost up the EU-India ties. The visit comes as the global environment is changing, a term often used to describe the U.S. administration’s new stance on the Russia – Ukraine conflict with President Donald Trump.
EU officials say the visit has been scheduled for a long time, but it is given greater importance because of global events. In addition, the EU imposed the 16th round of sanctions against Russia, and the US has dlivated Washington from the positions of Brussels at the UN. Coming as it does with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a visit to Washington for a ceasefire meeting with Trump, the EU in India is about rebalancing sir.
Talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior members of India’s government will focus on trade, technology and strategic partnership. Discussions will also consider the EU-India Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), which stalled since being relaunched in 2022. Other major topics of discussion will cover AI policy, in collaboration of semiconductor, and climate change efforts. 
With EU-India trade having expanded 90 percent over the past decade, European leaders want to strengthen economic ties and discreetly decrease their dependence on China. With the changing of the world order, this major trip shows how serious the EU is about building up alliances beyond old allies.
