“A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said with a kind of conviction that makes the India story feel that much real.
She attended the 77th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi with European Council President Antonio Costa. The visit comes ahead of an India–EU summit on January 27.
According to reports, the summit is expected to conclude negotiations on a long-pending free trade agreement. It will also advance security and defence cooperation. The proposed pact could lead to lower Indian import tariffs on European cars.
Von der Leyen and Costa were the chief guests at the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path. President Droupadi Murmu took the salute. She arrived in a traditional buggy with the two leaders. The President’s bodyguards flanked them.
Von der Leyen shared her thoughts on X. She wrote: “It is the honor of a lifetime to be Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations. A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure. And we all benefit”.
Her remarks came ahead of summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
New Delhi and Brussels are set to announce the conclusion of negotiations on the much-awaited free trade agreement, reports added.
European Union vice-president Kaja Kallas also attended the Republic Day event. She said there was strong momentum for closer cooperation with India.
“Here is strong momentum for closer cooperation with India, and we are seizing it. It is a pleasure to be in New Delhi today and an honour to attend the Republic Day celebration. As a symbol of our deepening bond, personnel from our EU naval operations, Atalanta and Aspides, are taking part in the parade for the first time. Tomorrow, at the Summit, we will take our relationship forward by signing the EU–India Security and Defence Partnership. This will deliver concrete results in areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism,” she said in a post on X.
Prime Minister Modi thanked the European leaders for attending the celebrations. He responded in a post on X.
“India is privileged to host European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during our Republic Day celebrations. Their presence underscores the growing strength of the India-European Union partnership and our commitment to shared values. The visit will add momentum to the deepening engagement and cooperation between India and Europe across diverse sectors.”
The European Union is India’s largest trading partner. Bilateral goods trade touched USD 135 billion in FY 2023–24. Officials said the proposed free trade agreement could substantially boost commercial engagement.
The pact is expected to bring a qualitative shift in India–EU ties across multiple sectors. This comes as global commerce faces disruption from Washington’s tariff-driven policies.
India and the EU first opened free trade negotiations in 2007. Talks were paused in 2013. Differences over ambition led to the halt. The process was revived in June 2022.
Earlier in the day, a news agency reported that India is likely to cut import tariffs on cars from the European Union. The rate could fall to 40 per cent from a peak of 110 per cent. This would be done under the proposed free trade agreement. The deal could be finalised as early as Tuesday.
It’s reported that India has agreed to immediately lower duties on a limited number of EU-imported cars. The condition is that the import price exceeds around Rs 16.3 lakh (USD 17,739). Tariffs are expected to fall further to 10 per cent over time.
Also Read: Washington Signals Tariff Climbdown As India Cuts Russian Oil Imports https://www.vibesofindia.com/washington-signals-tariff-climbdown-as-india-cuts-russian-oil-imports/
