India–EU Deepen Defence Ties, Eye Joint Role in Global Security

Ms Kallas thanked India for the invitation to the Republic Day celebrations and welcomed the EU’s participation in the parade at Kartavya Path.

India and the European Union moved to strengthen their strategic partnership as Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh met EU High Representative and Vice President Ms Kaja Kallas in New Delhi on 27 January 2026, holding wide-ranging talks on security, defence cooperation, and regional stability.

During the meeting, Singh said India and the EU are bound by shared values of democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law, which continue to anchor a partnership that is steadily expanding beyond dialogue into practical cooperation.

“These values must translate into tangible outcomes for global stability, sustainable growth and inclusive prosperity,” the Raksha Mantri said.

Defence Industry Synergies and Strategic Autonomy

A key focus of the talks was closer collaboration between Indian and European defence industries. Singh stressed that deeper industrial cooperation would complement India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision while aligning with the EU’s push for strategic autonomy.

He said integrating supply chains could act as a force multiplier, helping build trusted defence ecosystems and future-ready capabilities. Singh also highlighted that India’s defence industry could play a meaningful role in the EU’s ‘ReArm initiative’, particularly as Europe looks to diversify suppliers and reduce strategic dependencies.

He described Ms Kallas’ visit as especially significant, coming during India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations.

Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region

Ms Kallas thanked India for the invitation to the Republic Day celebrations and welcomed the EU’s participation in the parade at Kartavya Path. She underlined the importance of India–EU cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), calling for joint efforts and learning through combined exercises and best-practice sharing.

A major outcome of the meeting was India’s positive response to the EU proposal to post a Liaison Officer at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram.

The Raksha Mantri welcomed the move, saying the EU Liaison Officer would enhance operational coordination with the Indian Navy, particularly in counter-piracy operations and maritime threat assessment across the IOR.

A Strategic Signal

The meeting signalled growing convergence between India and the EU on defence cooperation, maritime security, and trusted supply chains, as both sides navigate a rapidly evolving global security environment.