New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday thanked several world leaders, including Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, for extending greetings to India on the occasion of its 77th Republic Day.
Jaishankar said he received Republic Day wishes from leaders across the globe and acknowledged them through posts on social media platform X. He thanked Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan, saying, “Appreciate your warm wishes FM Ararat Mirzoyan.”
He also expressed gratitude to Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Khaleel for his greetings, posting, “Thank you for your greetings Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Abdulla Khaleel.”
The External Affairs Minister further thanked Abdulla Shahid, President of the Maldivian Democratic Party, for his warm wishes on India’s 77th Republic Day.
Jaishankar also acknowledged Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, describing her as a friend and thanking her for her Republic Day greetings to India.
Meanwhile, India’s 77th Republic Day parade concluded on Monday with a grand display of the country’s military strength and cultural diversity along Kartavya Path in the national capital.
After the parade and seeing off the President and visiting foreign dignitaries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed his tradition of walking along Kartavya Path, waving to spectators gathered for the celebrations.
At the end of the ceremony, President Droupadi Murmu, along with Republic Day Chief Guests—European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa—were escorted by the President’s Bodyguard as they departed for Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Prime Minister Modi said India was privileged to host the European leaders during the Republic Day celebrations, noting that their presence underscored the growing strength of the India–European Union partnership.
In a post on X, PM Modi said the visit would add momentum to deeper engagement and cooperation between India and Europe across multiple sectors, reaffirming their commitment to shared values.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described India as a key global partner, stating that a successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous, and secure. She called being invited as Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations “the honour of a lifetime.”
Her remarks came as top EU leaders arrived in New Delhi to attend the 77th Republic Day celebrations and the 16th EU-India Summit scheduled for Tuesday, reflecting growing strategic convergence between India and the European Union.
Senior EU officials, including Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas and Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, highlighted strong momentum in EU-India relations spanning trade, security, and defence cooperation.
Sefcovic said a trade deal between India and the EU is “very close,” describing it as the “mother of all deals” that could open access to a market of 1.4 billion people for European exporters and services.
He noted that India currently maintains tariffs as high as 150 per cent in some sectors, which has restricted European exports, but said the proposed agreement would focus on opening the economy while keeping sensitive sectors outside the deal.
If concluded, the agreement would create a free trade area covering nearly 2 billion people and significantly boost bilateral trade. Around 6,000 European companies currently operate in India, with EU-India trade in goods rising nearly 90 per cent over the past decade, reaching €48.8 billion in exports in 2024, according to European Commission figures. (ANI)
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