On 27 January 2026, the European Union and India signed a Security and Defence Partnership which marks a new chapter in the strategic relationship between the EU and India.
The Security and Defence Partnership responds to an increasingly challenging strategic environment and builds on long standing security and defence cooperation between India and the EU.
“The EU and India maintain a long-standing strategic partnership. With today’s signing of a new Security and Defence Partnership, we are entering a new phase of EU-India relations. It will expand our cooperation in areas such as maritime security, counterterrorism, and cyber-defence. The EU and India see the world changing in similar ways and are responding together. Security is now a core part of our relationship.” — EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas said.
With the partnership agreement the EU and India have established cooperation and different dialogues on security and defence matters. June 2025 India participated in joint maritime activities with EU naval forces (EUNAVFOR) focused on counter-piracy efforts and continues to engage with the EU project ‘Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia and the Indo-Pacific’ (ESIWA+).
The EU and India also had their annual Security and Defence Consultations and launched a Strategic Dialogue on Foreign and Security Policy in June 2025. Both sides continue to participate in dedicated sectoral dialogues in areas such as maritime security, cyber security, counterterrorism and non-proliferation.
The Security and Defence Partnership builds on this established cooperation and provides a structured framework to develop it further. It constitutes an integral part of the new and further strengthened Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda.
