India-EU Strategic Partnership
The Diplomatic Context
India and the EU formalised their Strategic Partnership in 2004. The two sides hold an annual EU-India Summit at the highest level. In January 2026, India and the EU concluded negotiations on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) — a landmark after more than a decade of negotiations. The EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) invited India's EAM Jaishankar to attend as a guest on March 16, 2026, the first time an Indian minister attended an FAC meeting — an unusual gesture reflecting the elevated status of India-EU relations and the shared interest in resolving the Hormuz crisis.
- India-EU Strategic Partnership: established 2004
- India-EU FTA: negotiations concluded January 2026 (estimated trade to more than double from ~€120 billion/year)
- EU-India Summit: annual, last held in 2023 (16th India-EU Summit)
- FAC guest appearance by Jaishankar (March 16, 2026): first Indian minister at an FAC session
- EU is India's largest trading partner (collectively); India is EU's 10th largest trading partner
- EU HR/VP Kaja Kallas personally invited Jaishankar — signalling EU's interest in India's Iran channel
● Tracked since February 18, 2026 · last seen March 16, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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