In a major step to strengthen bilateral ties, India and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday formalised a Security and Defence Partnership. The announcement came ahead of the 16th India-EU Summit, following a high-level meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the three service chiefs, and an EU delegation led by Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Kallas described the agreement as a “milestone,” highlighting that it will advance maritime security, cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and multilateral collaboration. She added that the partnership reflects growing trust and the strong momentum for closer cooperation between India and the EU.

Rajnath Singh emphasised that shared values such as democracy, pluralism, federalism, and the rule of law underpin India-EU relations. He called the technology and defence partnership “trust in action,” noting it will translate these principles into practical cooperation for global security, sustainable growth, and inclusive prosperity.

EU officials stated that such partnerships form a key pillar of the bloc’s Strategic Compass, adopted in 2022, which aims to deepen engagement with non-EU partners. With this agreement, India becomes the third Asian country, after Japan and South Korea, to secure a similar strategic deal.

The partnership covers defence capability development, counterterrorism, maritime and cyber security, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and crisis management, creating a comprehensive framework for long-term strategic collaboration between India and the EU.