Republic Day 2026: EU Leaders Ursula von Der Leyen And António Costa To Be Chief Guests Amid FTA Push

New Delhi: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will be the chief guests at India’s Republic Day parade on January, 26, 2026. The top two European leaders are likely to share the dias with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu and the EU leadership has reportedly conveyed an acceptance as chief guests for the parade.

The visit of the top two European leaders is expected to coincide with the India–EU Summit, where discussions are likely to centre on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with both sides aiming to push the long-pending deal towards conclusion at the earliest.

The move comes at a time when India–EU relations have gathered pace, particularly following the visit by EU Commissioners to India in February 2025, which helped set the stage for expanded cooperation in trade, defence, technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

India-EU FTA

On December 8, India and the European Union (EU) resumed negotiations in New Delhi on the long-pending free trade agreement (FTA), with both sides aiming to conclude the decade-long talks by the end of this year.

As per the Commerce Ministry, a dialogue between both parties were held to expedite the conclusion of the India-EU FTA.

The discussions reportedly are expected to focus on resolving outstanding issues related to trade in goods and services, investment rules, government procurement and regulatory standards, including sanitary and technical requirements.

Key sticking points remain, including the EU’s proposed carbon tax, market access for automobiles and steel, rules of origin and barriers in services.

Discussion on FTA

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the European Union's Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic reviewed the progress of the negotiations earlier this month. The discussion on the long-pending FTA were aimed at providing strategic guidance to the FTA negotiating teams where both sides work towards concluding the agreement at the earliest.

Goyal added negotiations for the India-EU free trade agreement are progressing, and a rough outline of the pact has been prepared. He said both sides are committed to an early conclusion of the deal.

India–EU FTA Negotiations Held in New Delhi

A senior team of negotiators from the European Union (EU) visited New Delhi from November 3rd-7th, 2025 for negotiations with Indian counterparts on the proposed India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The week-long discussions were part of ongoing efforts to advance negotiations towards a comprehensive, balanced, and mutually beneficial trade agreement.

The deliberations covered a wide range of chapters, including goods, services, investment, trade, sustainable development, rules of origin, and technical trade barriers.

As part of the negotiations, Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal held detailed meetings with Director-General for Trade, European Commission Ms. Sabine Weyand, to take stock of the progress achieved across negotiating tracks.

The negotiations and meetings reflected the strong commitment on both sides to deepen the India–EU partnership and to finalize an ambitious and forward-looking agreement that fosters resilient, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth.

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