Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top European Union leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to seal the proposed India-EU free trade deal as soon as possible.

In a joint phone call with Costa and von der Leyen, Modi underlined the role of the India-EU strategic partnership in jointly addressing global issues and promoting a rules-based order for mutual prosperity.

The leaders welcomed progress in bilateral relations in key sectors such as trade, technology, investment, innovation, sustainability, defence, security and supply chain resilience, and reaffirmed the shared commitment for an early conclusion of the negotiations for the trade deal, according to an Indian readout.