Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to attend the EU-India Summit in Brussels amid heightened security threat. As the city still copes from the terrorist attack last week, Modi's decision to go ahead with the visit highlights his eagerness to re-establish a relationship with Europe. Hosted by the EU, the European side will be led by Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission.
Modi’s Brussels visit will include meetings with top Indian businessmen in Europe, including a delegation of diamond traders from Antwerp, where India’s Patel community dominates the diamond trading hub- the largest in the world, with about 84 per cent of the world’s rough diamonds transiting through here. He will also hold separate meetings with members of the European Parliament, and a delegation of Indologists.
The 13th EU-India Summit will focus on counter-terrorism, along with trade and investment as a point of focus. EU officials also hope the summit gives fresh political impetus to the free trade agreement that had started in 2007 and suspended in 2013. “There is a willingness on the EU’s side to support India’s and Modi’s initiatives, especially in the fields of energy, Swachh Bharat (Clean India) and water management, and we are very well-placed to contribute to all these,” an EU official said. The summit will also see both the sides discussing cooperation in fields of research and innovation, the digital market, and human rights.
With counter-terrorism high on the agenda, an EU official said, “The Indian side has been actively pushing for a counter-terrorism declaration, which is now expected to take centre stage in light of the recent attacks, but was always on the cards. This is a key challenge for both of us, and an area of cooperation which we would like to see significantly strengthened.” India's ambassador to the EU, Manjeev Singh Puri said, “Counter-terrorism is something that is extremely crucial for us. We believe that as governments and government institutions, we have the great ability of large-scale collaboration.” While the EU is India’s largest trading partner, largest foreign investor and largest foreign investment destination, India is only the EU’s ninth largest partner, accounting for a paltry 2.1% of the EU’s total trade.
However, the peak of his trip will as always be his interaction with the Indian diaspora. Organisers say they expect a crowd of about 5,000 people, who have registered through the Modi in Brussels website.
