Narendra Modi looks forward to boosting trade: Joao Cruinho, EU Ambassador

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While the world’s democratic superpower kept arms length from Narendra Modi (then Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2012-13), Europe quietly engaged the BJP leader by leading an EU delegation to India nearly two years before the Lok Sabha elections. In fact, Ambassador Joao Cravenho, the head of the European Union delegation, led the ambassadors of various European countries for a casual dinner with Modi in the capital last year. And in the run-up to the election, he even traveled across India to get a feel for the likely outcome and interacted with all the players across the political spectrum, something foreign ambassadors rarely do. In an interview with ET, Ambassador Croninho described the new Prime Minister of India as a bright-minded person with a clear vision for India and governance. The ambassador feels that EU member states have the ability to carry on Modi’s economic diplomacy and improve India’s economic health.

How do you see the victory of Narendra Modi and BJP? And what effect will this have on the Indian economy?

We want India to play well. These elections ensure political stability for the next five years. Decisive leadership means tough decisions, and no good governance is possible without tough decisions. The BJP-led NDA has a clear mandate to take bold and innovative decisions. International politics is not about a zero-sum game and while India will engage other powers economically, the EU has the potential to boost growth in India. The EU is already the single largest trading partner as a bloc, and the single largest source of FDI for India as a bloc. We are ready to meet India’s needs in the areas of technology and funds.

You interacted with Modi when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. How do you rate him as a leader of modern India?

As the former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal, I have interacted with various world leaders and I can say that Mr. Modi is one of the best. He has clear thinking and a clear vision of governance and that is what India needs. He also has a very clear understanding of the challenges facing the country. He is also a good listener and a good conversationalist and can engage in rich discussions. No Prime Minister wants to have a sectarian conflict on his record, and I am sure he will not allow any communal crisis in India. His priority is to improve the economy and he is looking forward to it.

where to Where do India-EU relations go from here? What are the priority areas for India-EU and what is the future of the free trade agreement that has been discussed for many years now?