Ambassador of Ireland Kevin Kelly. File
Finalisation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement will be among the priorities of the European Union, said Ambassador of Ireland Kevin Kelly on Wednesday (July 1, 2026).Speaking at the Press Club of India at an event to mark the inauguration of Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union, Mr. Kelly described India as one of the “most important strategic partners” of Europe.“The European Union increasingly sees India as one of our most important strategic partners. Our presidency programme reflects that highlighting both the importance of the Indo Pacific and priority attached to the EU’s relation with India. We hope to advance the Council’s works supporting progress towards the ambitious EU-India Free Trade agreement. We are pretty hopeful that this will happen during our presidency and I know there is a lot of work going on in the background to make that happen,” said Ambassador Kelly in his opening remarks.This will be the eighth time that Ireland has held the Presidency of the EU. The EU-India FTA was concluded in January this year whereas the final sealing remains to be done.EU’s partnership with India extends “far beyond” trade, said Mr. Kelly who counted areas like maritime security, digital commerce, research, connectivity, resilient supply chains. “We are vibrant democracies, major economic powers and increasingly indispensable partners in addressing global challenges,” said Mr. Kelly who thanked External Affairs Minister for calling Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee on Tuesday to discuss the agenda of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.Addressing the same event, EU’s ambassador Herve Delphin called for ending the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.”Free and safe passage was taken for granted as a key element of globalization, said Mr. Delphin highlighting the need for maritime security in West Asia Published - July 02, 2026 03:22 am IST
