New Delhi [India], December 19 (ANI): Netherlands Foreign Minister David van Weel on Friday expressed strong optimism over the ongoing India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, describing India and the EU as 'natural partners' at a time when trade is facing increasing challenges in the global environment.

David van Weel, on a three-day visit to India, noted that FTAs with like-minded partners have become increasingly significant amid disruptions to global trade and supply chains.

'FTAs with like-minded partners now are more important than ever. We see a world where trade is becoming increasingly difficult, where countries sometimes don't adhere to the rules we set, and where we need to diversify our supply chains to become more resilient and autonomous,' the Dutch Foreign Minister said.

'There the EU and India are natural partners. I really hope that we will soon reach a conclusion on those negotiations,' he added, highlighting the convergence of interests between both sides.

Earlier on Monday, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that the India-EU FTAs were 'narrowing down the differences'.

'We have done nearly 14 rounds of negotiations till now. Their team was here for the entire week in December, and both sides had deep engagement on multiple issues. We are narrowing down the differences,' he said.

'When you reach closer, there are a set of differences. We are now narrowing them down. Both sides are virtually engaged on multiple issues,' the secretary added.

During his visit, the Dutch Foreign Minister also held meetings with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, describing the discussions as productive against the backdrop of global geopolitical shifts.

'There were good discussions. In these times of geopolitical change and unrest around the world, democracies need to stick together. India and the Netherlands are passionate about democracy, the rule of law, and the right of passage in the high seas, and all those values are under pressure,' he stated.

On defence and security cooperation, van Weel said both sides share concerns over developments in the Indo-Pacific region, noting that they joined New Delhi's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

He further announced increased naval engagement between the two countries with the Dutch Deputy Chief of the Navy's visit to India in February, along with a Dutch frigate visiting Kochi in the spring.

'In the field of defence and security, we've concluded that we share concerns about developments in the Indo-Pacific region. The threats are multiple, and we also joined your Indian Ocean Pacific Initiative. Our Deputy Chief of the Navy will be here in February to discuss with the Chiefs of the Navy what the developments are and what should be done. There will also be a Dutch frigate that will visit Kochi in the Spring of next year as a testimony to how important we find it to show our presence here also in the region,' van Weel added.

In November 2019, India launched the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) to give a concrete shape to India's Indo-Pacific Vision, which is built on India's Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR doctrine. (ANI)