Latest round of India-EU talks on FTA was 'missed opportunity' to make some breakthrough: EU envoy

New Delhi: The latest round of negotiations between India and the European Union on a proposed free trade agreement was a bit of a "missed opportunity" to make some breakthrough, EU envoy Herve Delphin said on Monday.

In an address at an event, Delphin, without divulging specific details, said the 27-nation bloc "was and is" still ready to conclude on a "meaningful" trade package as he highlighted increasing convergence of geopolitical, economic and security interests between India and the EU.

The two sides held the 13th round of trade negotiations for the FTA between September 9 and 12 but not much progress was made in view of divergence of views in certain areas including automobiles and agricultural products.

"The 13th round earlier in September was a bit of a missed opportunity to make some breakthrough. The EU was and is still ready to conclude on a meaningful package," Delphin said.

"We look forward to India engaging in earnest and moving, like the EU has shown readiness to do, towards a mutually beneficial deal," he said.

The leadership of both sides has set a target of this December to conclude the ambitious trade deal.

Delving into the overall India-EU ties, the envoy said the degree of strategic convergence between the two sides has never been greater and that the partnership can further respective global aspirations to shape the global agenda.

"The trust and thrust in our relationship can take it to a new strategic level, a truly transformative partnership pact. This is Brussels' call to Delhi," he said.

Highlighting the inherent strength in India-EU ties, Delphin said the two sides represent close to 25 per cent of world GDP and 25 per cent of world population.

"We both stand as cooperative global actors committed to rules-based approaches and rules-based order. We have largely converging interests in the Indo-Pacific region," he said.

"We both seek to address global challenges and promote public goods -- whether climate action, sustainable development and financing for development to AI governance, space governance.

"We both reject wars of aggression and terrorism; or economic coercion. As large democracies, we attach importance to the respect and promotion of human values. Both sides see each other as poles of stability and 'ballast' in a multipolar world," the envoy said.

With the EU moving closer to a "strategic posture of strategic autonomy", the assessment of EU and its member states as a "valuable" partner has certainly gained weight in Delhi, he observed.

"Not least in the light of India's own strategic conundrum and significant challenges posed by China, Russia and the USA," Delphin said.

"In short, circumstances of necessity to de-risk, to hedge by diversifying partnerships and affirmation of greater strategic autonomy certainly provide a strong impetus for deepening our strategic ties," he said.

Ambassador Delphin spoke extensively about the ongoing geopolitical reshuffling and even touched upon the US-China relations that he said have been increasingly locked in a "systems-level competition", reverberating across the global chessboard.

"Nationalist politics are back, driven by identity and communal reflexes, conjuring up historical claims, and turbocharged by a technological race to ensure supremacy," he said.

The envoy argued that the return to power politics is leading to a retreat of international law and multilateralism.

"In this environment of tensions and transformations, India and the EU are in different positions, not least geographically. But at the core they face similar challenges: their economic development and their security are under stress; their vision of a rule-based and cooperative global order is undermined," he said.

In this context, Delphin referred to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's remarks that "this world is fraught with danger. But I believe this modern version of great power competition is an opportunity for Europe and India to re-imagine their partnership".

"In many ways, the EU and India are uniquely placed to respond to this challenge together," von der Leyen had said.