EU leadership accepts invite for chief guests at Republic Day parade

An invitation to be the Republic Day chief guest is highly symbolic from the Indian government’s perspective.

New Delhi has been weaving a strategy with hospitality to decide its chief guest and the decision to invite the EU leadership is a first. The choice is dictated by a number of reasons — strategic and diplomatic, business interests and international geopolitics.

The ties between India and the European Union of 27 member countries have been on an upswing in the last few months, especially since February this year when the EU’s College of Commissioners visited India. Amid the unpredictability of the US administration led by President Donald Trump, the EU approved a new strategic agenda on October 20 to raise bilateral relations with India to a higher level, which includes finalising the ongoing negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), deepening cooperation across technology, defence and security, people-to-people ties.

EU’s von der Leyen and Costa have spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times in the last few months, including on September 17, on the PM’s birthday.

While there have been divergences between Delhi and Brussels on Russian oil imports and India’s refusal to explicitly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the sense in Delhi is that the convergences far outweigh the differences.

The timing is crucial as the US administration has given a reality check to both India and Europe about its unpredictability. As India and the EU work towards an ambitious and strategic roadmap, European leaders are pitching themselves as the “predictable” and “reliable” partners.

So, 60 years after establishing diplomatic ties – and building on more than 30 years of EU-India cooperation and 20 years of Strategic Partnership – both sides are working towards elevating the partnership.

They will build on the visit of the College of Commissioners of the EU — equivalent to the Council of Ministers in India — in February this year.