Mon Feb 03 15:36:58 UTC 2025: ## EU Shifts to Pragmatism in Relations with India, Signaling a More Transactional Approach

**Brussels, February 3, 2025** – The European Union is adopting a more pragmatic and transactional approach to its foreign policy, prioritizing mutual benefit over ideological alignment, according to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. This shift will significantly influence the EU’s upcoming visit to India later this month, where Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners will engage in discussions with Indian officials.

Kallas, speaking at a conference of EU ambassadors in Brussels, stated that many countries are reluctant to choose sides between the West and autocratic regimes opposing it. She emphasized that national self-interest, rather than alliance commitments, guides most international relations, citing Türkiye and Gulf States’ mediation efforts as examples of transactional approaches. This realization, she argued, necessitates a similar shift in EU strategy.

This announcement comes amidst heightened geopolitical tensions, following US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and his threat to impose tariffs on EU exports. Kallas highlighted recent successful trade agreements with Mexico and Mercusor as examples of mutually beneficial partnerships the EU aims to replicate. She underscored the significance of the upcoming India visit as an opportunity to deepen ties with a nation representing a substantial portion of global population and GDP.

The EU’s new approach represents a departure from previous criticisms of India’s purchase of Russian oil following the Ukraine invasion. These criticisms, previously voiced by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, had highlighted perceived double standards in the EU’s own energy policies. Despite this history, the EU’s trade chief, Maroš Šefčovic, recently described the India visit as a “very strong political signal,” indicating a willingness for increased sectoral cooperation. India and the EU have engaged in nine rounds of discussions for a free trade agreement, further emphasizing the importance of this evolving relationship.

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