One of our main activities is organising and hosting Luncheon Briefings on pertinent topics of EU-Asia relations. Beginning with an informal lunch, the Briefings usually last for 1.5 hours, including questions.

Attendees include EIAS members and other interested parties.

Experts wishing to discuss a possible topic for a Lucheon Briefing are invited to contact EIAS Direct Dr Willem van der Geest.

The Outcomes of the Fifth EU-India Summit
Thursday 11 November 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Speakers: H.E. Ambassador Abhyankar Rajendra, Embassy of the Republic of India to the EU and Ms. Laurence Argimon-Pistre, Head of India Unit, European Commission.
Chair: Mr Malcolm Subhan, Vice-Chair, European Institute for Asian Studies, Brussels

On 8 November the fifth EU-India Summit was held in The Hague. The Summit offered an opportunity for the two major international players, who share a commitment to democracy and multilateralism, to review the state of their bilateral relationship and examine means to further strengthen their "Strategic Partnership. A Communication examining the many facets of EU-India relations in the light of India's role as an emerging global player and a major regional actor and proposing a series of concrete steps to strengthen co-operation, was adopted by the European Commission in June of this year. 

The Summit was be chaired by Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Bot, in their capacity as Chairpersons of the Council of Ministers of the European Union. The Indian delegation was led by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs Natwar Singh.

This briefing, a few days following the Summit, took stock of and addressed the outcomes of this important Summit. Mr R.P. Agrawal, from the Embassy of the Republic of India to the EU and Ms. Argimon-Pistre, Head of the India Unit, European Commission, briefed the audience on the main issues that were raised and the conclusions that were drawn at the Fifth EU-India Summit.

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Letter of Invitation (pdf)