European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

♦ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 28 February 2025. 

♦ The discussions between the two leaders focused on enhancing the India-EU Strategic Partnership, with particular emphasis on key connectivity initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. India and the European Union (EU) have set an ambitious deadline to finalize negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of this year (2025).

♦ Von der Leyen arrived in New Delhi on February 27 for a two-day visit at the invitation of PM Modi. This marks her third visit to India, following her bilateral visit in April 2022 and attendance at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023.

Bengal Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO)

♦ India took over the chairmanship of Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) at the 13th Governing Council Meeting at Malé, Maldives on 21 February 2025.

♦ The Indian delegation, led by Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India, assumed the Chair during the event.

♦ The BOBP-IGO was set up in 2003, is a regional fisheries body, specifically mandated to assist the member countries in increasing the livelihood opportunities and improving the quality of life of the small-scale/ artisanal fisher folk in the Bay of Bengal region.

♦ The current members of the organisation are Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka while Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand are cooperating non-contracting parties.

Modi held a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on 18 February 2025.

♦ India and Qatar upgraded their bilateral relations to a ‘strategic partnership’ with a focus on strengthening cooperation in trade, energy, investments, innovation, technology, food security, culture, and people-to-people ties.

♦ The Agreement on the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two nations was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. 

♦ A revised agreement aimed at avoiding double taxation and preventing fiscal evasion concerning income taxes was also signed, further deepening economic cooperation between the two countries.

♦ India and Qatar have agreed to double their annual bilateral trade from the current USD 14 billion to USD 28 billion within the next five years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US President Donald Trump

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, on 14 February 2025.

♦ During the meeting, Modi and Trump discussed various issues, including trade, defense, technology, energy, security, and people-to-people ties.

♦ They also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest. 

♦ The two leaders have jointly launched the US-India Compact for the 21st Century to foster deeper collaboration in defense, trade, and technology.

♦ In the area of trade and investment, Mission-500 has been introduced to more than double total two-way trade to USD 500 billion by 2030.

♦ Additionally, the leaders unveiled plans to establish a new 10-year framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership, spanning from 2025 to 2035.

♦ Trump said that the United States will sell F-35 fighter jets to India, which would join the elite club of countries with the state-of-the-art stealth planes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron held bilateral talks on 12 February 2025, signing key agreements in technology, civil nuclear energy, environmental sustainability, and cultural affairs.

♦ In the field of technology and innovation, India and France issued a declaration on artificial intelligence and launched the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 logo.

♦ A letter of intent was signed between India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and France’s INRIA to establish the Indo-French Center for Digital Sciences. Additionally, an agreement was reached to host 10 Indian startups at Station F, France’s leading startup incubator.

♦ The two countries also strengthened their civil nuclear energy collaboration with multiple agreements.

♦ These included a declaration of intent to establish a partnership on advanced modular reactors and small modular reactors, a renewal of the memorandum of understanding between India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and France’s CAE for cooperation with the Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP), and an implementing agreement between DAE and CEA on cooperation between GCNEP India and France’s Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN).

♦ In the Indo-Pacific and sustainable development sectors, both nations signed a joint declaration of intent on triangular development cooperation, furthering their commitment to regional growth.

5th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting

♦ The 5th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting between the Ministry of Defence of India and Spain took place in New Delhi on 6 February 2025.

♦ The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary, International Cooperation Amitabh Prasad and Special Advisor on Defence Diplomacy to the Secretary General of Defence Policy Brigadier General Paulino Garcia Diego.

♦ Both sides reviewed the ongoing bilateral defence cooperation activities and discussed the plan for multiple joint activities, including in the maritime domain.

♦ They agreed to focus on a closer collaboration in defence, particularly in technology and armament production areas.