European Union leaders attend 77th Republic Day of India as Chief Guests and co-chair 16th EU-India Summit

Key facts

• President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen paid a State Visit to India on 25–27 January 2026 as Chief Guests for the 77th Republic Day of India.
• A contingent of the European Union Military Staff and the European Union Naval Operations ATALANTA and ASPIDES participated in the Republic Day Parade for the first time.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-chaired the 16th EU-India Summit with President Costa and President von der Leyen in New Delhi on 27 January 2026.
• The EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations were successfully concluded during the Summit.
• The EU-India Security and Defence Partnership, the first overarching defence and security framework between the two sides, was signed.
• The leaders condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025 and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi on 10 November 2025.
• The EU-India Joint Comprehensive Strategic Agenda 'Towards 2030' was adopted to advance cooperation across five pillars: prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, connectivity and global challenges, and enabling factors.