Saurav Narain
Introduction
The European Union has actively focused on diversifying and strengthening its partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, increasing its presence in the region. In September 2021, the EU joined the group of countries to formalise an Indo-Pacific strategy.1 The strategy outlines the EU’s resolve to promote a rules-based order in the region, respect for democracy and human rights, contributing to the international climate goals, strategic autonomy, and common public goods as key goals. To this end, the EU has signed multiple bilateral partnerships in the region including with Japan, Singapore, and South Korea and a strategic partnership with ASEAN amongst others.2 The EU envisions itself maturing into a geopolitical union.3 There are similarities in the Indian strategy as it balances its partnerships within different economic, security and trade blocs, such as the Quad and the BRICS+.4 Amid this era of ad hoc coalitions, the EU and India have launched a Trade and Technology Council (TTC), which had its first ministerial meeting on the 16th of May 2023.
This FOCUS paper aims to analyse the TTC in conjunction with broader significance for both the EU and India. The first section provides an overview of the TTC’s three working groups, thereby establishing a context, and an understanding of its mandate. The subsequent section delves into the broader potential of the TTC and highlights the strategic opportunities that could be mutually beneficial for both parties. The third section critically comments on the democratic backsliding in India through examples. Lastly, this paper concludes with a call for the EU to leverage its partnership and the benefits of the TTC, to ensure the rule of democracy in India and by extension in the Indo-Pacific.
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