India and the European Union will try to seal a trade deal during this year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

Ursula von der Leyen, the first woman to lead the European Commission, is on a significant two-day visit to India. Her discussions with Indian officials focus on enhancing strategic partnerships and addressing key global issues,

India and the EU must take their strategic ties to the "next level" in an era of great power competition and geopolitical turmoils and the relationship has the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this century,

A top European Union official on Friday highlighted the 20-year steady relationship between India and the EU, and said that both parties are ready to take the relationship to “next level”, amid a fundamental change in global dynamics.

Highlighting the need to bolster cooperation between new Delhi and Brussels in the areas of digital technology, Artificial Intelligence and defence, EU President Ursula von der Leyen termed India as a "pillar of certainty" for Europe in an "increasingly uncertain world".

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen emphasised the need to strengthen the security and defense partnership with India, advocating for an ambitious trade agreement that could be the larg