India-EU Forge Strategic Partnership: A New Way for a Fractured World

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlights India-EU strategic partnership as a "clear choice" for a "fractured world."
• Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will be chief guests at India's Republic Day celebrations.
• The upcoming India-EU summit is expected to finalize a free trade deal and other initiatives to deepen bilateral cooperation.
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar anticipates the summit will mark a "new chapter" in India-EU relations.
• Key areas of cooperation include trade, security, defence, clean transition, and people-to-people exchanges, with a focus on a strategic defence pact and professional mobility.

Why It Matters: India and the EU are strengthening their strategic partnership, aiming for a free trade deal and broader cooperation.