India Hosts European Union Leaders for High-Level Summit in New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to host the 16th European Union-India summit in New Delhi today, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations. The summit will be attended by the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who are representing the European Union as distinguished guests.
Strategic Partnership and Key Policy Areas
According to an official statement from the European Council, this summit presents a crucial opportunity to build upon the existing EU-India strategic partnership. The discussions are expected to further strengthen collaboration across several key policy domains, including:
- Trade and economic integration
- Security and defence cooperation
- The clean energy transition
- People-to-people connections
The summit occurs against the backdrop of positive momentum in EU-India relations in recent years, characterized by sustained high-level engagement across all sectors. In October 2025, the Council of the European Union endorsed a new strategic EU-India agenda with the objective of further developing ties between the two entities.
Historic Trade Agreement Concluded
In a significant development, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal announced on Saturday that negotiations for the India-EU trade deal have been successfully concluded. The formal signing of the agreement will occur after a legal scrubbing process, which is expected to take approximately five to six months.
Agrawal described the deal as "balanced, forward-looking" and emphasized that it will facilitate better economic integration with the European Union. The agreement is anticipated to substantially boost trade and investment between India and the EU member states.
European Union Trade Commissioner Marcos Sefcovic, in an interview with Euro News ahead of the summit, characterized the long-awaited free trade agreement as the "mother of all deals." He noted that negotiators are currently "checking their final numbers" as the European bloc seeks to reduce India's steep import duties, which can reach up to 150% in certain sectors.
"In some sectors, India has tariffs going up to 150%. Therefore, significant portions of the economy have been completely closed off to European exporters," Sefcovic explained. "The major benefit will be opening up the economy."
Comprehensive Strategic Agenda
Leaders at the summit are expected to adopt a joint EU-India comprehensive strategic agenda aimed at increasing strategic cooperation in four primary areas:
- Prosperity and sustainability
- Technology and innovation
- Security and defence
- Connectivity and global issues
The summit will also address the ongoing negotiations on a free-trade agreement that originally commenced in 2007 and was relaunched in 2022. According to the European Council, such an agreement would significantly enhance bilateral trade and investment ties while driving shared prosperity between the two regions.
Regional and Global Discussions
Beyond economic matters, the leaders are anticipated to discuss various regional and global issues, including:
- The importance of an effective multilateral system
- A free and prosperous Indo-Pacific region
- Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine
- The current situation in the Middle East
The official statement highlighted that "leaders will also focus on closer collaboration between the EU and India on security and defence matters, particularly in the context of establishing a security and defence partnership."
Republic Day Celebrations and Diplomatic Significance
Presidents Costa and von der Leyen attended the 77th Republic Day celebrations on January 26th as guests of honour, underscoring the diplomatic importance of their visit. Following the majestic celebrations at Kartavya Path, Ursula von der Leyen expressed her sentiments on social media, stating, "It is the honour 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."
Prime Minister Modi reciprocated this sentiment, noting that India was privileged to host the EU leaders at the Republic Day celebrations. "Their presence underscores the growing strength of the India-European Union partnership and our commitment to shared values," he remarked.
According to Sefcovic, the trade agreement would create a free trade area encompassing approximately 2 billion people and would lift numerous Indian customs duties on European goods, though sensitive sectors will be excluded to ensure a positive outcome. He emphasized that this represents "the largest trade deal ever" and highlighted that around 6,000 European companies already operate in India, with trade between the two partners experiencing significant growth over the past decade.
