'Missed Opportunity': EU Envoy Rues No Breakthrough In Latest Round Of India-EU FTA Talks

European Union envoy Herve Delphin on Monday called the latest round of talks between India and the EU over the planned free trade agreement a "missed opportunity".

Delphin, according to news agency PTI, said that the EU "was and is" still ready to agree on a "meaningful" trade package. He also pointed towards the increasing overlap of economic, geopolitical and security-related interests between India and the European bloc.

The two entities held the 13th round of trade negotiations for the FTA between Sept. 9 and Sept. 12.

"The 13th round earlier in September was a bit of a missed opportunity to make some breakthrough... We look forward to India engaging in earnest and moving, like the EU has shown readiness to do, towards a mutually beneficial deal," Delphin said.

The leadership of both sides has aimed to conclude the FTA by December.

The EU envoy stated that the strategic confluence of India and EU's interests had never been greater. "The trust and thrust in our relationship can take it to a new strategic level, a truly transformative partnership pact. This is Brussels' call to Delhi," he said.

The envoy pointed towards the strength in India-EU ties, by drawing attention to the fact that the two sides represent close to 25% of world GDP and 25% of world population.

"We both stand as cooperative global actors committed to rules-based approaches and rules-based order. We have largely converging interests in the Indo-Pacific region," he said.

"We both seek to address global challenges and promote public goods -- whether climate action, sustainable development and financing for development to AI governance, space governance," the envoy said.

"We both reject wars of aggression and terrorism; or economic coercion. As large democracies, we attach importance to the respect and promotion of human values. Both sides see each other as poles of stability and 'ballast' in a multipolar world," he added.

With the EU moving closer to a 'strategic posture of strategic autonomy', the assessment of EU and its member states as a 'valuable' partner has certainly gained weight in Delhi, he observed.

"Not least in the light of India's own strategic conundrum and significant challenges posed by China, Russia and the USA," Delphin said.

"In short, circumstances of necessity to de-risk, to hedge by diversifying partnerships and affirmation of greater strategic autonomy certainly provide a strong impetus for deepening our strategic ties," he said.

Ambassador Delphin spoke extensively about the ongoing geopolitical reshuffling and even touched upon the US-China relations that he said have been increasingly locked in a 'systems-level competition', reverberating across the global chessboard.

"Nationalist politics are back, driven by identity and communal reflexes, conjuring up historical claims, and turbocharged by a technological race to ensure supremacy," he said.

The envoy argued that the return to power politics is leading to a retreat of international law and multilateralism.

"In this environment of tensions and transformations, India and the EU are in different positions, not least geographically. But at the core they face similar challenges: their economic development and their security are under stress; their vision of a rule-based and cooperative global order is undermined," he said.

In this context, Delphin referred to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's remarks that "this world is fraught with danger. But I believe this modern version of great power competition is an opportunity for Europe and India to re-imagine their partnership."

"In many ways, the EU and India are uniquely placed to respond to this challenge together," von der Leyen had said.

(With inputs from PTI)