Europe: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brief and productive move this week through Germany, Denmark and France underscores the belated recognition of the immense potential for a lasting strategic partnership between India and Europe.
Modi also spent time with Indian expatriates growing up in Europe. In addition to the Prime Minister's political interest in mobilizing expatriates, there is a new Indian emphasis on "migration and mobility" agreements that address a major confusion - Europe's need for foreign professional talent (which is plentiful in India) and fears about illegal immigration. Successful implementation of this framework will significantly advance the construction of a new living bridge between India and Europe.
The most important outcome of Modi's visit to Europe was a major shift in India's thinking on how to build a multipolar world. In the mid-1990s, India wanted to reach there in cooperation with China and Russia. As Beijing builds a China-centric and unipolar Asia, and Russia merges with China, Europe may have emerged as India's natural partner in building a multipolar world.
The earlier ideological dilemmas of India's foreign policy - East, West, North and South - did not give much space to significant Indian-European intervention in the first decades after independence. The end of the Cold War and India's economic reforms in the 1990s created new possibilities for building solid partnerships. But the old barriers in Delhi have limited engagement with Europe and bilateral relations have deteriorated.
The Narendra Modi government deserves credit for moving to break the European code. It exerted considerable political and diplomatic energy to break the long-standing political stalemate in India's European diplomacy. Whether it's increasing economic participation or increasing security cooperation with major European countries - it's not surprising that rewards are beginning to pay off. The successful adjustment of the European powers in technological innovation, clean energy and green growth is even more significant with the vital Indian needs in these key areas.
India's reluctance to condemn Russia's provocative attack on Ukraine at the start of the Moscow War in the heart of Europe seemed like a breach of agreement. Through Prime Minister Modi's visit, both sides made a conscious effort to reduce differences and to better acknowledge each other's concerns regarding Ukraine. India and Europe are beginning to find some common ground for addressing the humanitarian and other consequences of war. In the past, tensions between the mitigation of climate change and India's imperative for economic growth have been seen as part of an incompatible north - south conflict. The European zeal to involve India in sustainable development during Modi's visit underscores the merits of approaching climate change and growth in terms of practicality rather than ideology.
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