Manmohan hails EU proposal for strategic partnership

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) greets Chairperson of India's United Progressive Alliance government and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi (L) as Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee (C) looks on, prior to Singh's departure to the Hague in the Netherlands for the 5th India-EU summit, in New Delhi yesterday. Singh welcomed the European Union's proposal for a strategic partnership with India as he left New Delhi for a summit meeting in the Hague. PHOTO: AFP

"In recognition of India's growing stature and influence, the European Union has proposed a strategic partnership with India. This will be formalised during the Hague summit. We warmly welcome the development," he said in a statement here before leaving for the Hague.

He said Europe is an important political and strategic factor in the international sphere, adding recently the EU increased its membership from 15 to 25 erasing the vertical fault line that divided the European continent for over a century.

Counter-terrorism efforts and trade would also be in focus at the fifth India-EU summit today, he said.

"My discussions with the EU leadership will be reflected in a comprehensive joint statement that will be issued at the conclusion of the summit," Singh said.

The EU wants to bring its relationship with India to "the same parity, density and quality" as it has with the US, Canada, China, Russia and Japan, a EU official said last week.

"Our relations are based on shared values -- democracy, pluralism, rule of law and free press," Singh said Sunday.