00:00¡Gracias!
00:05President, thank you so much for joining us.
00:10On this special day, in a way, for the European Union, you've set fire.
00:15Finally, you've got this mother of all trade deals.
00:17What does that mean?
00:19Well, that means that we have...
00:20We are creating a market for 2 billion people.
00:24It's...
00:25It's a huge...
00:26It's the largest trade agreement ever.
00:30Signed by the European Union or India.
00:33And, of course, that means that you expect...
00:35That trade to now almost practically double.
00:38And you also say tariffs will come down almost...
00:40To 96% of all European exports.
00:43When do you hope to see this agreement?
00:45Implemented.
00:46As soon as possible.
00:48And this is very important for...
00:50Both European and Indian economy.
00:53But also for the global economy.
00:55Because...
00:55Because together we represent a quarter of the whole GDP.
01:00That means that if we boost our economies, we are boosting the global economy.
01:05And we saw in the 72 hours that we were here, the...
01:10Indian authorities and the Prime Minister Modi.
01:12He really rolled out the red carpet for you, for the...
01:15The head of the commission.
01:16You were at this military parade.
01:17I wonder if you could just give us a behind the scenes.
01:20Of how this trip felt for you?
01:23Well, this trip has two parts.
01:25First of all...
01:26Very nice.
01:27Very kindly.
01:28Very nice.
01:29Very kindly.
01:30And...
01:31And...
01:32It was...
01:33The President von der Leyen and me.
01:35We are the chief guests of the celebration of the Republic Day.
01:40The great celebration of India.
01:42And...
01:43And...
01:44We had...
01:45Pleasant in this...
01:46Huge parade.
01:47When the...
01:48The India shows not only the...
01:49The India shows not only the...
01:50no solo sus capacidades de militar, sino también sus capacidades.
01:55La diversidad cultural y los habilidades y los talentos de la gente en la cultura.
02:00Y la segunda parte fue el summit, donde aprobamos no solo el acuerdo de la ley de la ley de la ley de la ley.
02:05Pero también, con la seguridad y la ley de la ley de la ley de la ley de la ley.
02:10La ley de la ley de la ley de la ley de la ley.
02:15Y esto muestra que es posible.
02:17La ley de la ley de la ley.
02:22La ley de la ley de la ley.
02:27La ley de la ley de la ley.
02:32La ley de la ley de la ley.
02:37La ley de la ley.
02:39La ley de la ley.
02:41La ley de la ley.
02:43La ley de la ley.
02:44La ley de la ley.
02:45La ley de la ley.
02:46La ley de la ley.
02:47La ley de la ley.
02:48La ley.
02:49La ley.
02:50La ley.
02:51La ley.
02:52La ley.
02:53La ley.
02:54La ley.
02:55La ley.
02:56La ley.
02:57La ley.
02:58La ley.
02:59La ley.
03:00La ley.
03:01La ley.
03:02La ley.
03:03La ley.
03:04La ley.
03:05La ley.
03:06La ley.
03:07La ley.
03:08La ley.
03:09La ley.
03:10La ley.
03:11La ley.
03:12La ley.
03:13La ley.
03:14La ley.
03:15La ley.
03:16La ley.
03:17La ley.
03:18La ley.
03:19La ley.
03:20La ley.
03:21La ley.
03:22La ley.
03:23La ley.
03:24para el sistema multilateral.
03:27Estamos viviendo no en el mundo de bloques.
03:29En el mundo de bloques, en el mundo de bloques,
03:32y en este mundo de bloques,
03:34tenemos que hacer dos cosas.
03:36Tres cosas.
03:37Primero, deprimir el...
03:39El sistema multilateral.
03:40Segundo, uphold the international law.
03:43And finally,
03:44engage bilaterally
03:45with the different parts in the world.
03:48That's the reason
03:48because last...
03:49Last week,
03:49we signed the trade agreement
03:51with Mercosul.
03:52Now,
03:53we signed the trade agreement
03:54with India
03:55and we continue to work
03:56in new trade agreements
03:57and new partnerships
03:58in the...
03:59with the different subjects
04:00with different parts
04:01around the world.
04:02And of course,
04:03Prasanna,
04:03you're a very experienced...
04:04politician
04:05and I know
04:05you're going to say
04:06you don't like to engage
04:07in hypotheticals,
04:08just reality.
04:09But...
04:09Then if you do,
04:10you're going to invest me.
04:12But this is where
04:12I go to ask,
04:14do you believe...
04:14Do you get a sense,
04:16really,
04:16in real terms,
04:18would we be...
04:19here today
04:20in New Delhi
04:20with this agreement
04:22on the table?
04:22The Mercosul are done
04:23also in the...
04:24past month
04:25if President Trump
04:26had not been elected
04:27and put forward
04:28this very aggressive...
04:29Well,
04:30we started these negotiations
04:31a lot of years ago.
04:34But...
04:34of course,
04:35when you are living
04:36in the unpredictable world,
04:39you need...
04:39to provide predictability
04:41to the business,
04:42to invest,
04:43to produce...
04:44to trade
04:45and to give hope
04:47and security
04:47for the citizens.
04:49And the Indian minister
04:51told us
04:52that there was no mention
04:53of President Trump.
04:54that this was really
04:55a bilateral summit
04:56between the two.
04:57Is that the case?
04:57You really did not talk
04:58about President Trump?
04:59But you don't think
05:00that Europe and India
05:01are big enough
05:02to focus on our...
05:04themselves.
05:04Yes.
05:05This summit,
05:06it is about India,
05:07it is about the European Union
05:08and nothing else.
05:09And nothing else.
05:10So there was no mention
05:11of President Trump.
05:12Do you wonder
05:12or fear
05:13any form of retaliation?
05:14as you cut more deals
05:15from the U.S.
05:16in any way?
05:17But why?
05:19They should...
05:19shouldn't.
05:20It's not a threat
05:20to them.
05:21No, we are...
05:22We fix a trade agreement.
05:24with the United States
05:25is now in the European Parliament
05:27to be approved.
05:29And we are diversifying
05:30our trade relationships
05:32and, of course,
05:33when the WTO...
05:34is not working very well.
05:37And when...
05:39several economic...
05:42global agents.
05:44are disturbing
05:45the global trade.
05:47We need to...
05:49stabilize the trade relationship
05:52by trade agreements.
05:54And...
05:54is what we are doing
05:55and I think
05:56it's very important
05:57not only for Europe
05:58but also for the...
05:59global economy.
06:00And I want to pick up
06:01a moment
06:01in the press conference
06:02in which you showed
06:04a...
06:04passport.
06:05And I was watching
06:06the Indian television
06:07and this moment
06:08was really shown
06:09with...
06:09with the documenting
06:10you mentioned
06:11in your origins.
06:12This really went down well.
06:13I wonder how...
06:14is that part of a strategy
06:16to say
06:16while some other countries
06:18namely the United States...
06:19talk about weakness
06:20and decaying countries
06:22and civilizational erasure.
06:23Perhaps when you're nice...
06:24it pays off.
06:25It's better.
06:26No.
06:27We have a vision again
06:28that...
06:29in this multi-power world
06:31we need to engage
06:32with the different countries.
06:34with different cultures
06:35with different languages
06:36with different traditions.
06:38Last year we...
06:39I co-share with
06:40President von der Leyen
06:42more than...
06:43I think...
06:44seven summits
06:45around the world
06:46with the African Union
06:48with the...
06:49of Latin America
06:50and Caribbean
06:51with the Central Asia countries
06:53with China
06:54with...
06:54with Japan
06:55with South Africa
06:56with the Western Balkans
06:58with...
06:59around the world.
06:59and it is our way
07:01to...
07:02is our way
07:03of life
07:03in the world.
07:04It's...
07:04engaging with partners
07:05and to build
07:07reliable relationships.
07:09And...
07:09would you say
07:10however
07:10don't mistake
07:11politeness
07:12for weakness.
07:14So...
07:14some who look at this
07:15very polite
07:16European Union
07:16it means
07:17it's also
07:17weak European Union.
07:19Would you say
07:19that...
07:19don't make that
07:20because that would
07:21be a mistake?
07:22Yes.
07:22I don't enter
07:23in this game of words.
07:24we focus
07:25on the reality
07:26and that reality
07:27is very simple.
07:29we are one of the largest
07:31economies in the world
07:33one of the largest
07:34democracies in the world
07:36and we have
07:37and we have a lot
07:38of friends
07:39around the world.
07:39friends
07:41partners
07:41allies
07:42and we work
07:43with everybody.
07:44And do you get
07:45an impression
07:45that now
07:46these friends
07:47and allies
07:47across the world
07:48are reaching out
07:48to you
07:49or is it...
07:49the European Union
07:50reaching out
07:51to them
07:51because now
07:51you really need them.
07:53Is it mutual
07:53or is there also...
07:54understanding
07:55that they won
07:55the European Union?
07:57I think everybody
07:58understood
07:59that both the North
08:01then the South
08:03are more plural.
08:04than was perceived
08:06some years ago.
08:08And everybody...
08:09is understanding
08:10that we need
08:11to engage
08:12with each other
08:13to have
08:14a peaceful
08:15stable
08:16world
08:17on peace
08:18and security
08:18but also
08:19on economy.
08:20And on the security
08:21now,
08:22of course,
08:23with India
08:23and the European Union...
08:24that's the elephant
08:25in the room
08:25there's been
08:26the sticking point
08:26of the war
08:27in Ukraine
08:28the EU has said.
08:29multiple times
08:30that they would
08:30like to see
08:31India
08:31use a form
08:32of leverage
08:32on Russia
08:33and have more...
08:34meaningful language
08:35condemning the war.
08:37Was that an issue
08:38during your visit here?
08:39Should you bring that up
08:40and say
08:40you need to help
08:41us put an end
08:41to this?
08:42We talk,
08:42of course,
08:43about...
08:44Ukraine
08:45and the war
08:45in Ukraine
08:46with Prime Minister Modi
08:48but as I said...
08:49in my press conference
08:50I believe
08:51that we can count
08:52on Prime Minister Modi
08:54You believe that?
08:55Yes,
08:55I believe
08:55that we can count
08:57on Prime Minister Modi
08:59to push for peace
09:01through dialogue
09:02and diplomacy.
09:03And...
09:04I just want to
09:04finally on this point
09:06Greenland
09:07obviously last week
09:08was a very...
09:09moment for the European Union
09:10the United States
09:11backed up ultimately
09:12there were no tariffs
09:13what's the lesson
09:14that you take away from it
09:15and do you believe
09:15this crisis really
09:16is over now?
09:18I hope so.
09:19And was that a lesson
09:21however
09:22in when you're firm
09:23they...
09:24will back off?
09:25No,
09:25I think
09:26the main lesson
09:27is...
09:29everybody is concerned
09:30about the security
09:31of the Arctic region
09:32and the best way
09:33to...
09:34dress this
09:34is on NATO frame
09:36and working
09:37with the different...
09:39Arctic countries
09:40to ensure
09:41a safe
09:42and security
09:43Arctic.
09:44And I wonder
09:45if you could confirm
09:46to us
09:47there is now...
09:49that in the retreat
09:50that you have called
09:51for leaders
09:51who have a debate
09:52in February
09:53so verse...
09:54soon...
09:54Mario Draghi
09:55will participate
09:56is that going to be the case?
09:58Last year?
09:59We start the year
10:00in February
10:01organizing
10:01a retreat
10:03on defense.
10:04And I invited
10:04the Secretary General
10:05of NATO
10:06Mark Root
10:07and also
10:08the Prime Minister
10:09of...
10:09of United Kingdom
10:10and it was
10:12the pivotal moment
10:13to...
10:14improve
10:14and focus
10:15on our
10:16own agenda
10:17on security
10:18and defense.
10:19to strengthen
10:19our relationship
10:20with NATO
10:20and the UK.
10:21This year
10:22we need to do
10:23one competitive...
10:24and on our
10:25single market
10:26what we have done
10:27last year
10:27on security
10:28and defense.
10:29That's why
10:29I invited
10:30Mario Draghi
10:31and...
10:31It was your wish.
10:32And the Rico...
10:33And the Rico...
10:34And the Rico...
10:34to be present
10:36in the European Council
10:37to debate
10:38on earth.
10:39to take stock
10:39of what we have
10:41already done
10:42with their reports.
10:44and what we need
10:45to do
10:46to accelerate
10:47and to deliver
10:48to boost...
10:49competitiveness
10:49and to deep
10:51and strengthen
10:52our single market.
10:52And that's my last question.
10:53What do you...
10:54hope to achieve?
10:55Because you talk
10:55about the retreat
10:56that happened last year
10:57that kick-started
10:57the sequence
10:58on defense.
10:59Do you worry
11:00and is that
11:00the reason
11:01why you want
11:01Mario Draghi
11:02and let it
11:02to be in the meeting?
11:03That this report...
11:04is not being implemented
11:05fast enough.
11:06Are you concerned?
11:07What I expect
11:08from the leaders...
11:09is that they give
11:10a clear political guidance
11:12to the commission...
11:14to the council
11:14as they have done
11:16last year
11:17on security
11:17and defense.
11:18And this year...
11:19on the single market
11:21and on competitiveness.
11:22We need to...
11:24create a new momentum
11:25to give new impetus
11:26on this agenda.
11:28As you know,
11:28we have...
11:29then we have invest
11:30a lot
11:30on simplification
11:32but we need
11:33to do much more.
11:34to deliver
11:35and to boost
11:36effectively
11:36on competitiveness.
11:39and in our single market.
11:41And if you want
11:43to end...
11:44define our effort
11:45on security
11:46and defense
11:47we need to have
11:48a strong...
11:49economic base.
11:50So it's a package
11:51and that will be
11:51the goal for 2026.
11:53Yes.
11:54Thank you so much
11:55for joining us.
11:59Thank you so much.
