A top European Commission official said Friday that India and the European Union can join hands to promote stability in South Asia.

"We share many concerns with India in the south Asian region.

Our stand is somewhat similar with that of India in promoting stability in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan," Harve Jouan Jean, director-general for external relations at the Brussels-based European Commission, told a select gathering of journalists here.

"The EU and India can be stronger actors on the world stage by strengthening their security dialogue on tackling terrorism and pushing economic cooperation between them," added Jean, who arrived here to attend the daylong India-EU summit Wednesday.

India and the EU launched an action plan to deepen their strategic partnership and jointly combat terrorism on Wednesday.

Jean also sounded upbeat about India's participation in the Galileo satellite positioning and navigation services system project, a joint initiative of the EU and the European Space Agency which is being seen as a rival to the US Global Positioning System.

He also welcomed the EU's backing for India's participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project, which is designed to build a fusion reactor by pooling scientific and financial resources involving the United States, the European Union, Russia, South Korea, China, Japan and Switzerland.

Source: Xinhua