European Union leaders Von der Leyen and António Costa to be chief guests at India Republic Day 2026

Exam-focused facts from the 1 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will be the chief guests at India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
Their visit will coincide with the India–EU Summit, where discussions are expected to centre on the proposed Free Trade Agreement.
India and the European Union resumed negotiations for a comprehensive FTA in June 2022 after a gap of over eight years.