By EuAsiaNews,
Brussels : EU Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said here Friday that after the Indian legislative elections, “2009 is a crucial year for the EU and India, two natural partners, to find ways to address common challenges posed by climate change, energy security or terrorism.”
In press statements ahead of the EU-India Ministerial Troika to be held in Prague on Monday, she stressed that “this EU-India Foreign Ministers Troika is timely as the EU and India must join efforts to confront global issues and regional challenges.”
“I am pleased,” she continued, ” that we have already been able to establish very good cooperation with India covering many issues, notably our very valuable cooperation in the area of Research and Development linked in particular to the field of renewable energy such as solar energy for example.”
“Furthermore, we work together closely on education and the success of the Erasmus Mundus Programme with India for instance is very encouraging and offers many valuable opportunities to both Indian and European youth,” added Ferrero-Waldner.
The Czech Republic currently holds the six-month rotating EU Presidency. Sweden will take over the EU Presidency from 1 July.
The EU side at the meeting will be represented by Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, EU Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner , and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
India’s delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna. The meeting will also be attended by Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Frank Belfrage.
The one-day meeting is expected to put emphasis on a range of global issues, particularly on common strategies and responses to the economic and financial crisis, noted a statement by the EU’s executive body.
Furthermore the high level meeting will discuss cooperation in the field of energy and climate change and how both partners can reinforce their ambition to achieve concrete progress at the December Copenhagen conference.
The EU-India Foreign Ministers’ Troika will set the scene for the annual EU-India Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi later this year, which will focus mainly on climate change, trade relations, energy and security.