At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will pay a State Visit to India from January 25 to 27 as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations.
During the visit, the two leaders will also co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on January 27, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
As part of their engagements, President Costa and President von der Leyen will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold both restricted and delegation-level talks with PM Modi. An India-EU Business Forum is also expected to be organized on the sidelines of the India-EU Summit.
India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004. The 15th India–EU Summit was held virtually on July 15, 2020, and bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas, particularly following the historic visit of EU College of Commissioners to India in February 2025.
The MEA said that the participation of EU leaders as Chief Guests at Republic Day celebrations and the 16th India-EU Summit will further deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas of mutual interest.
