EU Leaders Ursula von der Leyen, António Costa to be Republic Day Chief Guests

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will be chief guests at India's Republic Day next year.
• The EU formally accepted India's invitation last month, as reported by CNBC TV18.
• Their visit aims to strengthen ties in trade, defence, technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
• The visit coincides with the India-EU Leaders' Summit on January 27, setting a deadline for FTA negotiations.
• India and the EU are nearing the final stage of FTA discussions, aiming for conclusion by year-end and finalization in January.

Why It Matters: EU leaders' Republic Day visit signals deeper India-EU ties and accelerates FTA finalization.