European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday (January 26) lauded India. Sharing a video of the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path in New Delhi, von der Leyen said that “India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure.” The EU Commission President’s remarks came ahead of the trade agreement between India and the 27-nation bloc, which von der Leyen and India’s Trade Minister Piyush Goyal have termed the “mother of all deals.”
Notably, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and von der Leyen were the chief guests at the Republic Day celebrations. The EU Commission President called it a lifetime opportunity to attend the mega celebrations as a chief guest.
“It is the honour of a lifetime to be Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations,” she stated.
Von der Leyen will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (January 27).
Both New Delhi and the European bloc are expected to adopt a document announcing the conclusion of the negotiations at the India-EU Summit. Following this, the two sides will initiate the process of legal scrubbing and related procedures for the signing of the trade deal. In the first stage, the European Parliament will have to vote on it, after which the European Council will need to green-light the deal for Trade Commissioner Maroš Sefcovic to sign it with his Indian counterpart, sources said, as reported by PTI.
The development comes amid the United States’ tariff policies. India and the EU are also expected to unveil a joint comprehensive strategic vision to govern their relationship for the period 2026–2030.
Days before her trip to New Delhi, the EU Commission President said in a special address at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, “Right after Davos, I will travel to India. There is still work to do, but we are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement. Some call it the mother of all deals.”
Europe wants to do business with the growth centres of today and the economic powerhouses of this century. From Latin America to the Indo-Pacific and far beyond, Europe will always choose the world. And the world is ready to choose Europe,” she said.
Negotiations for the trade deal between the two sides were launched in 2007. However, talks stalled in 2013 and were resumed again in 2022.
India plans to slash tariffs on cars imported from the European Union to 40 per cent from as high as 110 per cent, reported Reuters, citing sources.
The Indian government has reportedly agreed to reduce the tax on a limited number of cars from the bloc.
