After 17 Years, India and EU Set to Seal Trade Deal as Bloc Debuts at Republic Day

New Delhi: The European Union participated as the chief guest bloc at India’s Republic Day celebrations for the first time, a development the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described as a milestone in India-EU relations.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa attended the parade at Kartavya Path.

The EU leaders’ visit comes ahead of the India-EU Summit on January 27, where both sides are expected to formally announce the conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), ending talks that began in 2007 and continued intermittently for nearly 17 years.

Negotiations, initially launched as the Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), faced repeated delays over differences on tariffs, market access for goods and services, data protection, intellectual property rights, government procurement, and labour and environmental standards. Talks were effectively suspended in 2013 and revived in 2022 following renewed political engagement.

In remarks ahead of the summit, von der Leyen said that a “successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure,” reflecting the EU’s assessment of India’s growing global role.

Alongside the trade agreement, India and the European Union are also preparing to finalise a security and defence partnership, according to draft documents cited by international media. The proposed framework includes cooperation in defence dialogue, maritime security, cyber security and counter-terrorism.

The EU’s presence at the Republic Day parade and the expected announcements at the summit underline a broadening of India-EU engagement across trade, security and strategic cooperation.