¨     EU leaders invited as chief guests for the 77th Republic Day celebrations.

¨     The President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen have been invited as Chief Guests for India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations.

¨     The Republic Day ceremony is scheduled to be held at Kartavyapath on 26 January, marking a significant diplomatic engagement.
¨     At the invitation of PM Narendra Modi, two EU leaders will pay a three-day state visit to India starting on January 25th.
¨     During the visit, the 16th India–EU Summit is to be co-chaired by the EU leaders on 27 January.
¨     Meetings with President Droupadi Murmu have been scheduled as part of the official engagements.
¨     Restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi are also planned during the visit.
¨     An India–EU Business Forum is expected to be organised on the sidelines of the India–EU Summit.
¨     India and the European Union have maintained a strategic partnership since the year 2004, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs.
¨     The previous 15th India–EU Summit was conducted virtually on 15 July 2020.
¨     The participation of EU leaders in Republic Day celebrations is expected to further deepen the India–EU Strategic Partnership and enhance cooperation in priority areas.