India and the European Union on June 17, 2026 emphasised the need to speed up the signing and implementation of a free trade agreement (FTA). Prime Minister Narendra Modi met European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the margins of the G7 Summit in the French resort town of Evian. The meeting took place less than five months after the two sides concluded negotiations on the FTA and finalised a comprehensive strategic agenda during a visit by the EU leaders to New Delhi. Modi said it had been a great time for India-EU ties as the two had concluded the Free Trade Agreement, recalling the EU leaders' participation in this year's Republic Day celebrations. Costa and von der Leyen, in identical social media posts, said the two sides had been moving fast to deliver on their commitments after concluding the deal. The two sides agreed to sign the FTA by the end of the year, accelerate work on an investment agreement, step up security and defence cooperation, and join forces on connectivity by advancing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The leaders described the conclusion of FTA negotiations as a historic achievement and stressed its expeditious signing to unlock trade and investment opportunities and diversify supply chains amid geopolitical turbulence. They also discussed the India-EU Comprehensive Strategic Agenda finalised in January and reiterated their commitment to shaping a resilient multipolar global order. Modi separately held a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, welcoming the signing of a defence industrial cooperation roadmap and a transit visa waiver for Indian nationals.