India-EU Plans Next Edition of the Summit Mid-July to Pursue Rules Based International Order

New Delhi: India, while being involved in intense diplomatic parleys with China, in both Delhi and Beijing with an eye on early resolution to the stand-off along LAC, is also engaging global players both bilaterally as well as multilaterally to appraise them of the Chinese act.

The next Summit with the EU is being planned in mid-July to strengthen strategic partnership based on similar values and democratic traditions vis-a-vis Chinese efforts to unilaterally shape geo-politics, ET has reliably gathered.

It is expected that India and the EU will focus on strengthening rules-based order amid China’s attempt to unilaterally shape the world order, ET has learnt. The two sides will also focus on collaboration for public health care initiatives to fight pandemic including Covid-19.

Earlier PM Narendra Modi was scheduled to travel to Brussels for the Summit scheduled on March 13. The meet was postponed following outbreak of Covid.

Bilaterally while Delhi and Beijing remain engaged both at military level and diplomatic level, there are reports that Special Representatives (SRs) for boundary talks – Indian NSA and Chinese Foreign Minister – could meet in near future to end the stalemate at LAC. The SRs last met in December when Wang Yi travelled to India. The mandate of the SRs does not only include boundary resolution but also strategic issues.

Simultaneously the Ministry of External Affairs led by the Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary has been involved in diplomatic parleys with key global players including P-5 states – USA-Russia-France besides European economic powerhouse Germany.

United States’ Secretary of State Michael Pompeo made a quiet call to Jaishankar around 10 days back. The conversation reportedly revolved around the US government’s support to India amid tensions along border. A statement issued by Washington on June 17 had said that the US government was “closely monitoring” the situation and that it supports a “peaceful resolution of the current situation”. Subsequently, USA had issued harsher statements against Chinese action.

The moves against China do not just conform to bilateral platforms. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned in the strongest terms the “heinous and cowardly terrorist attack” that took place at Pakistan stock exchange building in Pakistan’s Karachi, killing 11 people.

But the UNSC’s statement came after much delay due to US and Germany’s reluctance to sign the draft press statement prepared by China, Pakistan’s closest ally. China introduced the statement last Tuesday but Germany stepped in to put a delay in issuing the statement at the last moment. Then, the US intervened also at the last moment.

The move to delay the statement by US and Germany is being read as a solidarity with India, after the Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and PM Imran Khan blamed India for the attack.

Source: ET

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