New Delhi [India], January 27 : The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Tuesday paid tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, by laying a wreath at his memorial in Raj Ghat, as part of their state visit to India.
The ceremony, held in the presence of senior Indian officials, was part of their ongoing state visit and coincided with the 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi, which will be co-hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The European leaders also signed the guestbook at the memorial site after the wreath-laying ceremony andpaying floral tribute to the Mahatma.
The visit comes at a time when both sides have concluded their discussion of a free trade agreement, which is expected to strengthen their shared commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
The free trade agreement between India and the EU, first initiated in 2007, is expected to anchor a broader economic and strategic partnership as global trade dynamics shift.
On Monday, the negotiations for the 'Mother of all deals', as it has been called, concluded successfully and will be formally announced today during the India-EU summit.
At the summit, leaders are expected to adopt a joint EU-India comprehensive strategic agenda that aims to increase strategic cooperation across four areas, reinforced by enablers across the following pillars: prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, and connectivity and global issues.
Leaders will also discuss trade in the context of the now-concluded free-trade agreement that started in 2007 (and was relaunched in 2022). This agreement would boost bilateral trade and investment ties and drive shared prosperity.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the recently signed India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as a milestone that reflects both sides' shared commitment to democracy and the rule of law, while complementing India's existing agreements with the United Kingdom and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
"Just yesterday, a massive agreement was signed between India and the European Union. People around the world are discussing it as the 'Mother of All Deals'. This agreement brings a huge opportunity for India's 1.4 billion people and the millions in European countries. This agreement is a brilliant example of coordination between two of the world's largest economies," PM Modi said during his address ahead of India Energy Week.
"This agreement represents nearly 25 per cent of global GDP and almost one-third of global trade. This agreement empowers our shared commitment towards democracy and the rule of law. This Free Trade Agreement with the European Union will also complement Britain and EFTA's agreements... I congratulate the people of the nation for this," the Prime Minister added.