Friday's ministerial meeting in Helsinki will be an opportunity for discussion of proposal for an EU/India Summit and civil society forums

03/12/1999 (Agence Europe)

At the ministerial meeting being held in the framework of political dialogue on Friday, 3 December, in Helsinki, the European Union and India will study practical means of strengthening their relations in the context of the association agreement in force since 1994. India will be represented by Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh and the EU by Finland's Foreign Minister and Council President Tarja Halonen, European Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten, Portugal's State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Seixas da Costa and Roland Zinzius for the Council Secretariat.

The parties are expected to flesh out the proposal presented by India for an EU/India Round Table that would regularly bring together representatives of civil society: unions, consumers, farmers, and entrepreneurs. The EU is planning to be represented there by members of the Economic and Social Committee, it is said at the European Commission. Another project aims at the creation of a joint network for think-tanks and universities. Ministers could also speak of the possibility of holding a first EU/India Summit in Portugal in June 2000.

At political level, the ministerial meeting will allow stock to be taken of the security situation in southern Asia and on nuclear non-proliferation questions, relations between India and Pakistan, the situation in the Kashmir, and relations with Afghanistan, China, etc.

The EU and India keep up regular political dialogue. Meetings have, however, been spaced out further to the Indian and Pakistani nuclear tests. A meeting at senior official level was held in May 1999, but the last ministerial meeting was held in November 1998.