EU not to press India after vaccine export suspended
India-EU will begin talks after eight-year break to negotiate free trade deal
India has “temporarily suspended” vaccine exports under the global Covax initiative and the European Union (EU) will “not put pressure” on New Delhi on that issue in view of the Covid situation in India, EU Official Sources said in the Belgian Capital Brussels on Thursday, ahead of the India-EU Leaders’ Meeting on Saturday in virtual mode.
Both sides will again formally begin talks to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after a gap of eight years and also announce a connectivity partnership, EU sources added.
The EU is providing 100 million Euros worth of relief material to India to help it combat the Covid pandemic. Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and also continuation of the Human Rights dialogue between both sides form some of the other aspects of bilateral ties.
Cooperation to tackle the Covid pandemic is expected to be one of the main topics of discussion, amid a horrific second Covid wave that is battering India.
The EU is already providing liquid oxygen, ventilators, medicines and other material that will be worth a total 100 million Euros to India.
There will also be discussions on how to ramp up vaccine production and to ensure resilient supply chains.
“Everyone has full understanding (of the Covid situation in India). No one will pressurise Prime Minister Modi to export vaccines at this stage,” EU sources told this newspaper.
It may be recalled that India had been exporting millions of doses of vaccines in the past few months till a ferocious second Covid wave hit India. New Delhi is now focused on vaccinating the huge 1.2 billion Indian population.
EU Official sources, meanwhile, said the meeting will endorse the
start of negotiations on trade, investment protection and geographic indications aimed at reaching an FTA after negotiations on this were suspended way back in 2013 (during the tenure of the UPA-2 Government).
On the Indo-Pacific region, EU sources said India has a “pivotal role” to play in the region and that the EU is a security provider as well in the region and is ready to reinforce its role and strengthen cooperation with India. On the human rights issue, EU sources said that the EU “respects India as a secular democracy” and is engaged in a human rights dialogue with it that has included discussions on topics
such as the current farmers’ protests in the country as well as freedom of expression and the role played by journalists.
In a statement issued meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “At the invitation of the President of the European Council, Mr. Charles Michel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the meeting of the European Council on May 8, 2021 as a special invitee. The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting is hosted by Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa. Portugal currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.”