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European Council President Antonio Costa surprised everyone during the India–EU Free Trade Agreement signing in New Delhi when he revealed that he is also an Overseas Indian Citizen. Flashing his OCI card at Hyderabad House, Costa called the moment historic, marking a new chapter in India–EU relations covering trade, security, and people-to-people ties. He described trade as a powerful geopolitical stabiliser and said the agreement would create a market of nearly two billion people, strengthening economic and strategic ties between India and Europe.
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Transcript
00:00Prime Minister Narendra Modi, my dear friends, dear Ursula, ministers, dear Skaya and Maros, good afternoon.
00:13Thank you, dear Prime Minister Modi, for welcoming us on this special occasion.
00:19We were privileged yesterday to be your chief guests for the Republic Day celebrations,
00:27such an impressive display of India's capabilities and diversity.
00:36Today is a historic moment.
00:40We are opening a new chapter in our relations on trade, on security, on people-to-people ties.
00:49I am the President of the European Council, but I am also an overseas Indian citizen.
00:58Then, as you can imagine, for me, it has a special meaning.
01:12I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father's family came from.
01:19And the connection between Europe and India is something personal to me.
01:27Also because we conclude today our trade negotiations, we relaunched at the latest meeting that I had the pleasure to host in May 2021 in my previous capacity.
01:47Our summit sends a clear message to the world.
01:51At the time when the global order is being fundamentally reshaped, the European Union and India stand together as a strategic and reliable partners.
02:05Today, we are taking our partnership to the next level.
02:10As the two largest democracies in the world, we are working hand-in-hand to deliver concrete benefits for our citizens
02:21and to shape a resilient global order that underpins peace and stability, economic growth and sustainable development.
02:32I would like to share three messages.
02:35First, the European Union and India must work together towards our shared prosperity and security.
02:45India is the world's fastest-growing major economy.
02:50Trade has flowed between our two continents for centuries.
02:56And trade is crucial geopolitical stabilizer and a fundamental source of economic growth.
03:02Trade agreements reinforce rules-based economic order and promote shared prosperity.
03:12That's why today's free trade agreement is of historic importance.
03:18One of the most ambitious agreements ever concluded, creating a market of two billion people.
03:26In a multi-polar world, the European Union and India are working together to grow spheres of shared prosperity.
03:37But prosperity does not exist without security.
03:43Strengthen our cooperation to better protect our citizens and our shared interests.
03:49Working together to counter the full range of security threats we face in the Indo-Pacific, in Europe and around the world,
04:00reaching a new level of strategic trust between us.
04:04That is the significance of our agreement on a security and defense partnership.
04:11The first such overarching defense and security framework between India and the European Union.
04:19And the first step towards even more ambitious cooperation in the future.
04:26This brings me to my second message.
04:29As the world's largest democracies and champions of multilateralism,
04:35the European Union and India share the responsibility to upholding the international law
04:43with the United Nations Charter at its core.
04:47Earlier this morning, we and Ursula and President Ursula had the opportunity to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
04:56And I reflected upon his words, which still holds true today, and I quoted,
05:05Peace will not come out of a clash of arms, but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds.
05:18Our summit reaffirmed our commitment to supporting efforts towards a comprehensive,
05:26just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
05:29Ukraine, one that fully respects Ukraine independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
05:37This is a key moment.
05:39We are supporting all efforts to reach a just and sustainable peace.
05:46Ukraine has shown its readiness, including at the cost of difficult compromise.
05:52I know, dear Prime Minister, that we can count on you to help creating conditions for peace through dialogue and diplomacy.
06:06And this is my final message.
06:10Together, we must show leadership on global issues.
06:15Cooperation between the European Union and India will help shape a more balanced, resilient and inclusive global order.
06:26Just two examples.
06:29I'm proud of the commitments we are making for greater cooperation on clean energy, green transition and climate resilience.
06:39And our collaboration through the global gateway and on the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor is decisive for global connectivity.
06:52By implementing the ambitious joint comprehensive strategic agenda towards 2030,
06:59we will align our priorities with concrete actions for the next five years, delivering real benefits to our citizens.
07:11Today, we have tangible progress and set an example of cooperative leadership on global issues.
07:20With our free trade agreements, our security and defense partnership and our joint strategic agenda.
07:28These outcomes are crucial milestones on the longer path.
07:34We look forward to continuing the journey, together, as always.
07:40Thank you very much.
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