The President of the European Council, António Luís Santos da Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will be Chief Guests at India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday.
According to a government release, the two leaders will be on a State Visit to India from January 25 to 27, 2026, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During their visit, President Costa and President von der Leyen will co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on January 27, 2026.
The summit is expected to focus on advancing cooperation across key sectors of mutual interest as part of the India-EU Strategic Partnership.
Meetings with President, Prime Minister
As part of the official programme, the EU leaders will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold both restricted and delegation-level talks with PM Modi.
In addition, an India-EU Business Forum is expected to be organised on the sidelines of the summit.
India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004.
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The 15th India-EU Summit was held virtually on July 15, 2020. Bilateral ties have expanded significantly since then, particularly following the historic visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February 2025.
According to the government release, the visit is expected to further strengthen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas of shared interest.
