EU to signal Free Commerce Settlement with India by finish of 2026, says Ursula at G7 | India Information
3 min learnNew DelhiJun 18, 2026 04:00 AM IST
European Fee’s President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned on Wednesday that the EU will signal the Free Commerce Settlement with India by the top of the yr.
She made this remark after assembly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.
In one other growth, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited Modi to go to Germany later this yr.
European Union’s von der Leyen posted on X, “Pricey @narendramodi, it’s a pleasure to satisfy once more so quickly. Since we’ve got concluded the mom of all commerce offers, we’ve got been transferring quick to ship on our commitments. We are going to signal the Free Commerce Settlement by the top of the yr. And speed up work on an funding settlement.”
“We can even step up safety & defence cooperation,” she mentioned, including that EU and India will be a part of forces for higher connectivity by advancing IMEC, the India-Center East-Europe Hall.
In line with the Ministry of Exterior Affairs, PM Modi on Wednesday held a bilateral assembly with the President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European Fee Ursula von der Leyen, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian and recalling the landmark sixteenth India-EU Summit held in India in January 2026. The leaders welcomed the exceptional progress made in India-European Union relations since then.
“The leaders emphasised the current conclusion of negotiations for the India-EU Free Commerce Settlement as a historic achievement and harassed its expeditious signing and implementation, which might unlock enormous alternatives for commerce and funding and contribute in the direction of diversification of provide chains, notably within the present turbulent geopolitical context,” it mentioned, referring to the wars in West Asia and Ukraine.
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“Because the world’s two largest democracies, with open market economies and pluralistic societies, India and the EU share a relationship based mostly on belief, shared values and a standard imaginative and prescient for the longer term. The leaders mentioned the progress on the Joint India-EU Complete Strategic Agenda endorsed in January 2026 and shared the sentiment that it could additional reinforce India-EU strategic partnership and ship mutually helpful and transformative outcomes,” it mentioned.
Exchanging views on regional and international problems with mutual curiosity, it mentioned that “the leaders welcomed the developments in West Asia. They reiterated their shared dedication to shaping a resilient multipolar international order that contributes to peace and stability, prosperity and sustainable growth.”
On the assembly with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, the MEA mentioned that the leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral engagements and expressed satisfaction on the renewed momentum within the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, with the profitable go to of the Chancellor to India and the conclusion of the India-EU FTA negotiations earlier this yr.
Chancellor Merz invited Prime Minister Modi for the eighth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC), scheduled to be held later this yr in Germany.
