India-European Union Security Partnership in Indo-Pacific: Between Interests and Capabilities

While the European Union (EU) has a significant economic presence in many parts of Asia, it has not yet figured prominently in emerging strategic calculations revolving around the Indo-Pacific region. As the tide of international politics shifts to Asia in general, and the Indo-Pacific in particular, the EU is feeling the need to play a bigger role in Asia, to bear greater responsibility and to have an impact on the affairs of this region. For India, the Indo-Pacific concept can be seen as a natural corollary to the “Act East Policy” and “Look West Policy”, which not only seek to increase people-to-people contact and greater connectivity in the region but also provide India with the space to play a larger and active role in this vital area. This chapter will highlight that the Indo-Pacific provides both the EU and India an opportunity to enhance their cooperation in realizing the collective vision of a democratic, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. It will analyse how India envisions the Indo-Pacific, and will analyse how EU-India cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is playing out in practice.