Common Values

Posted AtThe Telegraph - Calcutta

The summit between India and the European Union has paved the way for much closer cooperation between the two in the future. A broad understanding with the EU on international issues is essential if New Delhi has to establish itself as a global actor of consequence. The joint action plan and the political declaration released at the summit are comprehensive documents which could indeed herald a new era in India-EU relations. With the far-reaching agenda of the action plan, EU and India will also be able to jointly work against terrorism and build up a security dialogue. They will be able to meet common environmental challenges and strengthen two-way trade and investment. The bilateral meeting between the British prime minister, Mr Tony Blair, and Mr Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, will also create the conditions for a greater coordination on bilateral issues, including those related to terrorism and the environment.

Politically, the EU countries and India share common values, including a commitment to freedom and democracy. This should enable the relationship to be built on the basis of common values as well as common interests. The action plan's vision, however, merits elaboration. Its political chapter outlines areas in which the EU and India will seek to intensify their political dialogue and collaborate internationally to address global challenges systematically. It emphasizes the need for purposeful dialogue on human rights and cooperation with the United Nations, and intends to establish a committed dialogue on migration and consular issues. The chapter on trade and investment aims to promote two-way trade flows and investment. The summit will create a "high-level trade group" and mandate it with delivering recommendations in order to reach a possible comprehensive trade and investment agreement. Both sides will also work towards enhanced cooperation on the Doha Development Agenda.

The section on economic policy seeks to position the EU and its economic institutions at the core of India's ongoing reform process and to promote good governance. It proposes enhanced economic cooperation through the establishment of new dialogues and working groups on biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, finance, health, social affairs and agriculture. The action plan also aims to promote space cooperation, and India's participation in Galileo Satellite navigation system and international thermonuclear experimental reactor. All this augurs very well for the India-EU relationship, but the devil is always in the details and the implementation. It is, therefore, essential that the understanding reached on paper actually translates into reality in the months and years to come.

September 09, 2005