“This Is Personal For Me”: António Costa On Goa Roots And India–EU Partnership

European Council President António Costa shared an emotional and heartfelt moment during his visit to India, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the warm welcome and the honour of being chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. Calling the parade an impressive display of India’s capabilities and diversity, Costa said the visit marked a historic new chapter in India–EU relations across trade, security, and people-to-people ties. Referring to his roots in Goa and his identity as an overseas Indian citizen, he said the partnership holds personal meaning for him. Costa noted the conclusion of trade negotiations and said India and the EU are moving forward together as strategic, democratic, and reliable global partners.