India and the European Union are looking to cement very soon a new Security and Defence Partnership which will be aimed at working together across the board in the fields of maritime security, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism, European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, stated on Wednesday.

The signing of the document will take place during the visit of the top leaders of the European Union namely, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa to India. The two-line leaders will be the chief guests at the Republic Day celebration in India and will co-chair the 16th India–EU Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kallas who spoke in London, described the partnership as a sign of the increasing strategic alignment between India and the EU amidst the global security challenges. However, she admitted that the preparations for the high-level visit were going pretty well but with difficulties, and she also confirmed that she would be traveling with the European leaders to India.

Kallas also emphasized the economic aspect of the relationship, stating that the European Union is one of the biggest trading partners of India and calling India “vital” for the Economic Resilience of Europe.

The new security and defence agreement is likely to enhance the New Delhi-Brussels cooperation in the strategic domains, thus, strengthening their overall political, economic and strategic partnership.