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EU leaders Costa, von der Leyen to visit India as Republic Day chief guests
EU leaders Antonio Costa, Ursula von der Leyen to visit India from Jan 25–27; attend Republic Day as chief guests
The President of the European Council, Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will visit India from 25-27 January 2026, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended an invitation to EU leaders to attend the 77th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi as chief guests, the ministry said.
During the visit, the leaders will also co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on 27 January 2026, as India and the European Union move forward with talks on a free trade agreement. The previous India-EU Summit was held virtually on 15 July 2020.
This high-profile visit follows closely on the heels of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's trip to India, which focused on strengthening economic and security cooperation between India and the European Union's largest economy. Merz visited India on 12 January 2026.
Plans for their visit
During the visit, President Costa and President von der Leyen will meet the Indian President Droupadi Murmu, and hold “restricted and delegation-level talks” with Prime Minister Modi.An India-EU Business Forum is also expected to be organised on the sidelines of the India-EU Summit, the official MEA release noted.
India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004, the ministry said, noting that bilateral ties between India and the EU have strengthened over the years and deepened across a wide range of areas, particularly following the historic visit of the European Commission to India in February 2025.
“Participation of EU leaders as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day and the 16th India-EU Summit will further deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas of mutual interest,” MEA said in its announcement dated 15 January.
India-EU FTA
On 9 January 2026, India and the European Union (EU) held talks in Brussels on the proposed FTA, reaffirming their commitment to a rules-based trading framework and a modern economic partnership that protects the interests of farmers and MSMEs.After a gap of more than nine years, India and the EU bloc resumed negotiations in June 2022 on a comprehensive FTA, an investment protection agreement and a pact on geographical indications. The talks had stalled in 2013 due to disagreements over how much each side should open up its markets.
India's bilateral trade in goods with the EU was $136.53 billion in 2024-25 (exports worth $75.85 billion and imports worth $60.68 billion), making it the largest trading partner for goods, according to data cited by The Hindu in a news report.
Source: LiveMint
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