French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stirred debate in Paris by rejecting the ideas of a “Collective West” and a “Global South” as the EU moved closer to a major trade agreement with India. Speaking alongside Polish, German and Indian counterparts, Barrot said nations now act primarily in their own mutual interests. The remarks come ahead of a crucial EU-India summit on January 27, where a long-awaited trade deal is expected to be finalised, highlighting India’s growing role in global trade, security, and the Indo-Pacific order.