New Delhi–European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in India on Saturday on a State Visit, during which she, along with European Council President Antonio Luís Santos da Costa, will attend India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations as Chief Guests—an engagement seen as a significant milestone in the evolving India–European Union partnership.
Upon her arrival, von der Leyen was received by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada. Welcoming her visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted the shared democratic values underpinning India–EU ties.
“Charting the next phase of the India–EU Strategic Partnership. A warm welcome to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, on her State Visit to India,” the MEA said in a post on X. “As the world’s two largest democracies, India and the EU share a partnership rooted in mutual trust and shared values.”
Earlier in the day, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, arrived in New Delhi on her first official visit to India. The MEA described her visit as timely, noting that it comes amid sustained high-level engagements aimed at strengthening the India–EU Strategic Partnership.
“A warm welcome to EU HRVP Kaja Kallas on her first official visit to India. The visit comes at an opportune moment to further strengthen the India–EU Strategic Partnership, building on the momentum of regular high-level engagements,” the MEA said.
The visits by senior EU leaders come against the backdrop of intensified diplomatic engagement between India and the European Union, as both sides seek to deepen cooperation in an increasingly volatile and uncertain global environment.
On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar interacted with ambassadors from EU member countries in New Delhi, with discussions focusing on the rapidly changing global landscape. “Pleased to interact with the Ambassadors from EU countries today. Spoke to them about the current state of the world with volatility and instability as the new normal,” Jaishankar posted on X.
The External Affairs Minister underscored the importance of closer India–EU cooperation, saying stronger ties could help “derisk the world economy” through resilient supply chains, provide global public goods such as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and anti-piracy efforts, and contribute to stability through enhanced trade, mobility, and security partnerships.
The engagement with EU ambassadors preceded the State Visit of von der Leyen and Costa, who are visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During their stay, the two leaders will also co-chair the 16th India–EU Summit on January 27.
As part of the visit, the EU leaders are scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu and hold both restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Modi. An India–EU Business Forum is also expected to be organised on the sidelines of the summit, reflecting the growing emphasis on economic cooperation and trade.
According to the MEA, these high-level visits underscore the expanding strategic importance of the India–EU partnership at a time of shared global challenges and geopolitical uncertainty. (Source: IANS)
