The lack of a response to India’s request for an EU-India summit when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Europe next month was “regrettable” but not deliberate, said visiting Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in New Delhi on Monday.
The delegation of MEPs reached New Delhi just as the government decided to scrap plans for the EU-India summit, perceptibly piqued over a delay in the EU’s reply on the date in April suggested by the government. “We are disappointed by the decision to put off the EU-India summit, that hasn’t occurred for different reasons for the past three years,” Geoffrey Van Orden, Chair of The European Parliament Delegation for relations with India told journalists, adding, “It took the EU longer to respond than it should have, but that is possibly because there is a new administration at the EU.”
Prime Minister Modi, who is due to visit Germany for the inauguration of the Hannover Messe industrial fair on April 13th, will only visit France, and not the EU headquartered in Brussels, before he travels to Canada.
MEPs said they hoped the summit will be scheduled at the earliest. “As manufacturing countries keen to trade, all our businesses lose out if there is no summit,” said Neena Gill, the first vice-chair of the delegation of Indian-origin.
To a question from The Hindu on whether the delay was linked, as reports suggested, to the EU countries’ anger over the Italian marines issue, Mr. Orden said, “We do respect the Indian legal process, but think the case has taken too long and would like to see it expedited. Even so the European parliament would be very concerned if it had any evidence that the EU-India summit delay had anything to do with the case of the marines.”
The MEP delegation, who spent the day in parliament, met with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. They will also meet with Minister of State General V.K. Singh, and the Deputy NSA Arvind Gupta.
When asked if the fact that the Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and NSA Ajit Doval had not met the delegation was significant, Indian officials made no comment.
