EU chief Ursula von der Leyen arrives in India for a two-day visit

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in India for her first-ever visit. She said that there is a lot of untapped potential between the European Union and India. "We have a lot in common."

She added that India and the EU can achieve so much in the areas of benefit of people and climate by joining forces, reported ANI. The EU President noted that innovation is one of the things India has in common with Europe and gave a nod to the goal to have 50% energy from renewables in 2030. "We share the idea that we really have to look into solar energy, wind energy, biomass, hydropower, and geothermal."

President von der Leyen is set to visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind in these two days. She previously stated that the Ukraine crisis will be a topic of discussion as India has abstained from all Ukraine-related votes at the United Nations that condemned Russian aggression.

The EU is also seeking to find ways to reduce India's dependence on Russia for military equipment and fertilisers.

The MEA statement said that India and the European Union share a vibrant Strategic Partnership which has been witnessing strong growth with wider and deeper cooperation in political and strategic, trade and commerce, climate and sustainability, digital and technology aspects as well as people-to-people ties.

The EU is one of the largest investors in India, and 4,500 European companies are operating in India. They create over 1.5 million direct and five million indirect jobs in the country. Before leaving for India, Ms Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that she is off to New Delhi to celebrate 60 years of solid friendship. She added that it is a cooperation that India and the EU want to take to the next level.