New Delhi/Brussels, May 17 (Representative) India and the European Union on Tuesday held the first meeting of the Trade and Technology Council with very productive discussions on strategic technologies, digital governance and connectivity, clean and green energy technologies and resilient value chains, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. In a tweet, after the meeting between the Indian ministerial team, comprising EAM, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, with European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager and European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis and senior officials, he said the two sides also held talks on economic security and cooperation in third countries including connectivity. “Just concluded an extremely productive 1st India-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting. Thank European Commission VPs @vestager and @VDombrovskis for hosting the Indian Ministerial delegation. “On strategic technologies, digital governance and connectivity; clean and green energy technologies; resilient value chains, our discussions were truly meaningful. “Exchanged perspectives on economic security; cooperation in third countries including connectivity and derisking the global economy. “Confident that this mechanism will further energise our strategic partnership.” In his address at the meeting, he described the first meeting of the Trade and Technology Council as a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between India and the European Union. “We are obviously important partners for each other but what the TTC represents is a focus on key domains that are critical to both the global economy and global security.”
“Today the challenge is to address simultaneously the dual requirements of responsible growth and de-risking global economy. This means promoting resilient and reliable supply chains and additional drivers of global production and growth. It means ensuring trust and transparency in the digital domain including cross border flows. It means embracing low-carbon growth while ensuring that this does not create critical vulnerabilities.” “In each of the focus areas of the TTC strategic technologies, digital governance and connectivity clean and green energy technologies and resilient value chains, India has experiences to share in terms of innovation, production and deployment. We are also an important factor in regard to the global talent pool that has been discussed this morning,” he said. “It is our expectation that TTC would become the crucial platform for the exchanges in this regard so that we arrive at both policy and business decisions in the relevant domains.” Minister Piyush Goyal in a tweet, said: “Co-chaired the 1st Ministerial Meeting of India-EU Trade & Technology Council. It lays the roadmap to realise the vision of our leaders to:Strengthen our strategic partnership Deepen collaboration in critical areas for long-term growth Build resilient value chains.” Earlier, the Indian ministerial team held a meeting with Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. EAM said in a tweet: “A warm and cordial meeting with EU HR VP @JosepBorrellF. Appreciate his hosting the Ministerial delegation from India. “A good discussion on the TTC, G20, Voice of Global South, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific.”