PM Modi’s plan for meeting EU leadership put off

The foreign establishment has dropped the idea of an Indo-European Union Summit meeting next month during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Europe visit as the EU failed to communicate a proposed schedule.

The foreign establishment has dropped the idea of an Indo-European Union Summit meeting next month during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Europe visit as the EU failed to communicate a proposed schedule.

The PM will visit France and Germany early next month. He will go to French capital Paris and Berlin and Hanover in Germany. From Germany, he is slated to fly to Canada. The PM will spend two days in Canada while his Europe leg may last for five days.

While the much-anticipated visit to France and Germany—the two European powerhouses—are locked, New Delhi decided not to wait any further for EU to propose a schedule. The India-EU summit has not been held for last two years.

According to sources, New Delhi was mulling a plan for the PM to go to Brussels during his Germany-France tour and meet EU leadership.

While the cold response from the EU headquarters has irked external affairs mandarins, there is suspicion that former Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini, who heads the EU’s foreign policy wing, may have poured cold water on India’s plans.