India and the European Union – The Less Important Relationship

The aim of this paper is to provide a tentative assessment of the current diplomatic and strategic relations between India and the EU. The attempt is made to show that there are fundamental deficits on both sides – most of them domestic - that impede their explicit or implicit foreign policy, security and global projections as well as their abilities to effectively work together. The first section gives a brief introduction to the present international crisis and attempts to situate India’s strive to become a new world power. Secondly, the paper explores the geo-political and security relationship between India and the EU and asks why there is no real engagement taking place. Thirdly, it provides an understanding of the strategic partnership and discusses whether a rising India needs a Europe in decline; finally, it offers some tentative remarks on the recent shifts in interactions between the core players including China in the emerging world order and how these shifts impact the India-EU relation.