New Delhi: The European Union (EU) is ready to collaborate and work with India on shared priorities, EU Ambassador to India Jean-Eric Paquet said after presenting his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu at an official ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

“Honoured to present my credentials to the Hon’ble President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu. There is a strong momentum across trade, defence, security, Research and Innovation. Proud to represent EU in India at such an exciting time. Ready to collaborate and work on shared priorities,” Paquet said following the ceremony.

Describing the EU-India Strategic Partnership as “one of the most defining relationships of the 21st century”, Paquet stressed its role in shaping global economic, technological and geopolitical dynamics. He said the relationship had acquired unprecedented momentum across several areas and was entering a transformative phase.

“With unprecedented momentum across trade, defence and security, research and innovation, it is an honour to represent the European Union in India at such a transformative juncture,” Paquet said. He added that the shared agenda between India and the EU was “not merely aspirational” but represented a tangible commitment to future generations, one that would drive job creation and innovation.

Emphasising the strategic convergence between India and the EU, Paquet said cooperation between the two sides extended beyond bilateral ties and carried global significance, particularly in ensuring stability across the broader Indo-Pacific region.

“The EU–India Security and Defence Partnership agreement will further strengthen defence industrial cooperation and advance alignment on defence initiatives,” he said. The agreement reflects the expanding strategic dimension of the relationship, alongside the longstanding economic and commercial engagement between India and the EU.

Paquet said that the EU and India were “not just partners” but “architects of a shared future”. He said the two sides would together translate ambition into action, delivering prosperity, security and sustainability for their people and the world at large.

“India and the EU are architects of a shared future.”

Paquet’s tenure as EU Ambassador to India begins as relations between the two sides enter a decisive phase, with significant developments across several sectors, including the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The relationship has increasingly broadened beyond trade and investment to encompass defence, security, technology, research and innovation.

SEASONED DIPLOMAT

Paquet is a seasoned diplomat and policy architect with more than 30 years of public service within the European Union’s institutions, according to the EU. Prior to taking up his assignment in New Delhi, he served as Ambassador of the European Union to Japan from 2022 to 2026.

Previously, he held key positions including Director for the Western Balkans in the European Commission and served as the EU’s Ambassador to Mauritania from 2004 to 2007.

His arrival in New Delhi therefore comes at a consequential stage in India-EU relations, as both sides seek to build on growing political momentum and translate their expanding strategic partnership into concrete cooperation across trade, security, defence, innovation and other shared priorities.