EU-INDIA THINK TANKS TWINNING INITIATIVE TO HOST DELHI WORKSHOP
New Delhi, 6th November 2019: The EU-India Think Tanks Twinning Initiative (TTTI), a European Union Delegation to India supported project designed to foster ideas to further strengthen European and Indian cooperation, is set to host a Think Tank Twinning Initiative workshop in Delhi on 07 November 2019.
In the evening a public exchange on ‘The European Union and India: Strategic Partners on Multilateralism and Global Governance’ will explore how the EU and India can deepen cooperation in the coming years whilst contributing to multilateralism in today’s fast changing world.
The Workshop, the third organized under the TTTI, will bring together European and Indian scholars and officials for in-depth discussion, discourse, and analysis of global, regional and bilateral issues of strategic importance and interest to the EU and India. The workshop will review expert research findings jointly produced by European and Indian think tank consortiums under the TTTI to stimulate the further enhancement of EU-India foreign policy and security cooperation.
Research topics to be discussed cover emerging technology, EU-India security and defense cooperation, and EU-India foreign policy. The three consortiums presenting are the Observer Research Foundation, Chatham House and the European Institute for Security Studies; Centre for European Studies, University of Warsaw and Manipal Academy of Higher Education; and Jawaharlal Nehru University and Global Policy Unit. Participants will have the opportunity to present highlights of the workshop to the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the EU Delegation.
At the evening event, which will be held at Hotel Le Meridien, the European External Action Service (EEAS) Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Global Issues, Mr. Christian Leffler, will give a key note address on ‘The European Union and India: Strategic Partners on Multilateralism and Global Governance’. A panel discussion will follow featuring Mr Christian Leffer, Ambassador Shyam Saran, Former Foreign Secretary and Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, and Mr. G. Balasubramanian, Joint Secretary Europe West, Ministry of External Affairs, moderated by Dr Constantino Xavier, Fellow Brookings India. Opening remarks will be made by the EU Ambassador to India, H. E. Ugo Astuto. Organized in cooperation with the Brookings India EU Initiative, the event will be attended by specialists in foreign policy and international relations, academic, researchers and civil society representatives, Delhi-based think tanks, and government officials and diplomats.
About the EU-India Think Tank Twinning Initiative (TTTI)
The EU-India TTTI was launched with the support of the EU Delegation to India in 2015 to promote better understanding and stimulate joint research between leading Indian and EU Think Tanks. It aims to foster such interaction through joint projects including research publications and events. The initiative feeds into the EU-India strategic relationship by suggesting concrete ideas and recommendations on how the EU and India can further strengthen their cooperation in the fields of foreign and security policy and global governance. Such synergy helps generate better understanding and awareness of the EU in India and India in Europe. The EU currently supports Five EU-India think tank consortiums engaged in joint research to provide policy analysis and informed guidance to leadership in Europe and India. Since 2015, TTTI has provided innovative research on EU-India cooperation in a number of areas, including; Perspective on BRI, cooperation in connectivity, maritime security, counter-terrorism, defence, urbanization, crisis management to counter natural disasters, space, cyber security and data protection, peace building and global governance, and in other regions such as Central Asia, Africa, West Asia and Afghanistan. More information at https://euindiathinktanks.com
About the European Union (EU)
The EU, which consists of 28 countries, has the world's largest economy and its third largest population, after China and India. Though richly diverse, the countries that make up the EU (its 'Member States') are all committed to the same basic values: peace, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. By creating a frontier-free single market and a single currency (the euro) which has been adopted by 19 Member States, the EU has given a significant boost to trade and employment. It is also at the forefront of global policies on sustainability. Since 1999 the EU has also built a common foreign and security policy and it continues to make contributions to global crisis management. As of 2009, a High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy drives the EU's international action. The EU's common security and defense policy has been substantially strengthened since 2016.
EU-India relations
Over 50 years the EU and India have worked together to reduce poverty, prevent disasters, expand trade, secure global public goods, enhance security around the world and promote joint research in energy, health, agriculture and many other fields of mutual interest. In 2018, the EU adopted a new Strategy for relations with India which was welcomed in New Delhi and will feed the preparations of the next EU-India Summit. More information at http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india