By Lili Bayer
BRUSSELS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The European Union and India will explore possibilities for Indian participation in European defence initiatives, according to a draft security and defence partnership document seen by Reuters.
The new partnership comes at a time when Europe is seeking to reduce its dependence on the U.S. and China and deepen its diplomatic and economic ties to other regions.
"The EU and India will consult on their respective defence initiatives, including through exchanges on defence industry-related matters," the draft partnership, which is set to be signed on Tuesday, said.
"They will explore, where there are mutual interest and alignment of security priorities, possibilities for India's participation in relevant EU defence initiatives, as appropriate, in line with respective legal frameworks," it added.
The partnership envisages an annual dialogue between the EU and India on security and defence, as well as deepening cooperation on maritime security, cyber issues, and counterterrorism.
"The growing complexity of global security threats, rising geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological change underscore the need for closer EU-India dialogue and cooperation in security and defence," the document said.
India and the EU are also expected to announce on Tuesday the conclusion of protracted negotiations for a free trade pact.
(Reporting by Lili Bayer; Editing by Bart Meijer and Alex Richardson)
