India and EU to conduct security and defence consultations in early May

India and the European Union are slated to convene their bilateral security and defense consultations in New Delhi in early May, with a focus on initiating a new dialogue on space security and enhancing collaboration in the defense industry, according to sources familiar with the matter.

During the inaugural talks in 2022, discussions centered on security matters pertaining to the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and India’s neighborhood.

“During the consultations, the two sides also explored various avenues to boost India-EU cooperation on maritime security, the implementation of the European code of conduct on arms export to India's neighborhood, cooperation in co-development and co-production of defense equipment, including India's participation in PESCO," stated India’s mission in Brussels in 2022.

PESCO refers to the EU’s Permanent Economic and Security Cooperation Organization, established in 2017. The organization was formed to enhance planning and cooperation among EU member states to bolster the continent’s military and security capabilities.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union has placed more emphasis on the continent’s lack of preparedness for a security crisis. Cooperation with India’s defense industry, which maintains close defense ties with major EU powers like France, could be an area of interest for both sides.

Growing cooperation

Over the past few years, the EU’s security cooperation with India has significantly intensified. In 2020, the EU and India released a joint roadmap to 2025, focusing on strengthening military-to-military relations and cooperation on counter-piracy, peacekeeping, nuclear proliferation, and disarmament. The two sides have launched dialogues on maritime security and defense in addition to existing forums on cybersecurity and counter-terrorism. The EU also appointed a defense attaché to its mission in New Delhi in November 2023.

In October 2023, India and the EU conducted their first joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Guinea.

The 27-nation alliance has also embarked on a series of initiatives to strengthen security cooperation with nations in the Indo-Pacific region. The goal of the EU's CRIMARIO initiative is to enhance Indo-Pacific nations' maritime domain awareness capabilities.

The Enhancing Security in and with Asia (ESIWA) program, sponsored by the EU, strengthens collaboration in the areas of cybersecurity, maritime security, and counterterrorism. India and the EU collaborate on this initiative.

“You are likely to see an increase in the EU’s security and defense cooperation with India and greater engagement across the Indo-Pacific," EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Richard Tibbels told Mint in a previous interview. This includes cooperation on space security.

“Cooperation on space security issues should also certainly be explored between India and the EU as we both have high stakes in the space domain," he added.