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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in New Delhi on January 23 on a state visit, marking a significant diplomatic moment ahead of India\u2019s 77th Republic Day celebrations. She was received by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada at the airport.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cWe are closing in on the EU-IN\u00a0Free Trade Agreement. See you soon in\u00a0Delhi,\u201d she\u00a0wrote on X (formally twitter).\u00a0<\/p>
Von der Leyen, along with European Council President Ant\u00f3nio Lu\u00eds Santos da Costa, will be the chief guests at the Republic Day parade on January 26, underscoring the growing strategic importance of India-EU ties. The visit also sets the stage for the 16th India-EU Summit, scheduled for January 27 in the national capital.\u00a0<\/p>
According to a statement from the European Council, the two EU leaders will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review and deepen the India-EU strategic partnership. Key areas on the agenda include trade, security and defence cooperation, the clean energy transition, and people-to-people ties.\u00a0<\/p>
Trade, however, is expected to dominate discussions, with both sides close to clinching a long-pending free trade agreement (FTA). Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week, von der Leyen described the proposed pact as the \u201cmother of all deals,\u201d signalling momentum after years of negotiations.\u00a0<\/p>
An announcement on the trade agreement is widely expected at the summit on January 27. Once signed, the deal will still require ratification by the European Parliament, a process that could take at least a year. Recent moves by EU lawmakers to legally challenge the EU-South America trade pact highlight how parliamentary scrutiny could potentially delay or complicate approval.\u00a0<\/p>