New Delhi

Herve Delphin has described the partnership between European Union and India as “limitless, ambitious and progressive,” saying the two sides have elevated their relationship to an entirely new qualitative and strategic level.

Addressing Europe Day celebrations in New Delhi on Friday, Delphin said recent developments in bilateral engagement marked a defining moment in EU-India relations.

He described the recent India-EU summit as a milestone that brought together symbolism, substance and strategic importance, producing what he called “momentous outcomes.”

According to the envoy, both sides have unveiled a joint strategic agenda for the next five years, advanced negotiations on an ambitious free trade agreement, signed a security and defence partnership pact and developed a comprehensive mobility framework.

Delphin said these achievements reflected the political trust shared by leaders on both sides and signalled a deepening of ties “like never before.”

Speaking in the presence of Nirmala Sitharaman, diplomats and policy experts, he called this period “the Europe-India moment.”

The envoy also referred to the attendance of Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa as chief guests during India’s Republic Day celebrations as a symbol of the strategic closeness between the two sides.

On economic ties, Delphin noted that the EU is already India’s largest trading partner in goods and said the proposed free trade agreement—often described as the “mother of all” trade deals—could significantly boost two-way trade in the coming years.

He cited recent economic data showing around 6,000 European companies operating in India and supporting nearly six million jobs through investments, manufacturing and exports.

Commenting on global conflicts, Delphin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message that “this is not an era of war” deeply resonates with European values.

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He described the EU as fundamentally a peace project, built on the goal of ending centuries of conflict on the European continent, and reiterated Europe’s support for a just and lasting peace in the conflict involving Ukraine and Russia.