Two Panels Held on India-EU Free Trade Agreement and Indian Approach to COP31

Within the scope of this dialogue, two panels were held on India-EU relations and the Comprehensive Strategic Agenda, including the Free Trade Agreement, and India's approach to COP31, which will be held in Antalya.

The first panel discussed the latest developments in India-EU relations, especially the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.

Senior IPC academic Mustafa Kutlay, while revealing the importance of this FTA in global trade and its possible impact on Turkey, argued that both India and Türkiye can benefit from closer trade and business interaction as the India-EU FTA takes shape. Professor of European Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Ummu Salma Bava elaborated on the gradual expansion of India-EU relations, stating that there has been a steady restructuring as the EU started to see India as a reliable long-term partner. This process paved the way for the groundbreaking achievements of the 16th India-EU Summit held in New Delhi in January 2026, which included agreements in the fields of Security and Defense and Labor Mobility, as well as the FTA.

The second panel discussed the goals and possible consequences of the upcoming COP31, including India's approach and expectations.

TERI (Energy and Resources Institute) Director General Dr. Vibha Dhawan emphasized that climate finance remains a critical factor that needs to be addressed, and called for interest rates offered to developing countries to be at least at the same level as those offered to other countries. He also particularly emphasized the need to jointly develop technologies and share information and resources among countries in line with their climate change commitments. Hasan Aksoy, Head of Research at SHURA Energy Conversion Center, explained in detail Türkiye's approach to COP31 and the difficulties the country faces in its climate change efforts.