In 2020, India was the EU’s 10th largest trading partner accounting for 1.8 per cent of EU’s total bilateral trade in goods

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on sidelines of the 16th G20 Summit in Rome, and held extensive discussion on trade and investment.

This was Prime Minister Modi’s first official engagement after he arrived in Italy to participate in the G20 Summit where he will join other leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from COVID-19, sustainable development and climate change.

Official engagements in Rome begin with a productive interaction with @eucopresident Charles Michel and @vonderleyen, President of the @EU_Commission. The leaders discussed ways to enhance economic as well as people-to-people linkages aimed at creating a better planet,” Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet

During the meeting, leaders of India and EU reviewed India-EU cooperation covering political and security relations, trade and investment and economic cooperation as well as the Roadmap2025 agreed at the last India-EU Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

They also discussed climate change, Covid-19 pandemic and contemporary global and regional developments of interest to both sides.

EU leaders also congratulated India for its excellent progress on vaccination.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Presidents of EU recalled their productive virtual engagements in form of India-EU Leaders’ meeting in form of EU+27 in May 2021 and 15th India EU Summit in July, 2020.

India-EU bilateral relations date back to the early 1960s with India being amongst the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community in 1962.