The 8th India-EU summit has started on Thursday in New Delhi. A proposed free trade deal and a wide range of issues, including climate change and improving energy cooperation are at the top of the agenda.
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, current president of the council of the European Union, and Jose Manuel Barroso, EU commission president, will represent the EU. The Indian side will be headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and will be accompanied by Pranab Mukherjee, external affairs minister, Kamal Nath, minister of commerce & industry and MK Narayanan, national security advisor.
Both the sides will review the joint action plan to implement the decisions taken at earlier summits. Enhanced cooperation in clean energy development and climate change will also be high on the agenda.
An agreement on renewal of science and technology cooperation and a memorandum of agreement (MoU) on concretising the next round of India-EU cooperation for 2007-2010 will be signed during the summit.
The two sides will explore the possibility of setting up a business and technology centre in Delhi. They will also consider providing funds to projects in different areas including infrastructure and airports through the European investment bank.
According to the officials, Singh is likely to bring up the issue of seeking civil nuclear cooperation with the European countries, as most of the countries are members of the 45-nation nuclear suppliers group.
The 27-nation grouping is watching closely India?s negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency and will make up its mind on this issue only after the safeguards pact is concluded.
Leaders of India and the EU will also discuss a range of global issues, including the situation in Pakistan in the aftermath of emergency and ways to push democracy in Myanmar.
The EU accounts for one fifth of India’s total trade, and is also one of its main sources of foreign investment.