EUROPEAN COUNCIL president Antonio Costa has said he was proud of his ancestral roots in Goa, from where his father’s family came, and said the connection between Europe and India was personal to him.
Speaking at a press conference at Hyderabad House in the presence of prime minister Narendra Modi and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Costa said he was also an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). He showed his OCI card to the gathering after taking it out of his pocket.
The OCI scheme, meant for people of Indian origin who are foreign nationals, was introduced by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955, in August 2005. A registered OCI is granted a multiple-entry, multi-purpose, lifelong visa to visit India, but the status does not confer political rights, according to the ministry of external affairs.
Modi on Tuesday (27) hosted von der Leyen and Costa for India–European Union (EU) summit talks in New Delhi, amid strains in ties between Europe and the US. The two EU leaders were the chief guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path on Monday (26).
“Thank you, dear prime minister Modi, for welcoming us on this special occasion. We were privileged yesterday to be your chief guests for the Republic Day celebrations,” Costa said.
India and the EU on Tuesday announced the sealing of a free trade agreement (FTA) during the summit. The announcement came amid global trade disruptions linked to tariff policies.
Calling the development historic, Costa said, “We are opening a new chapter in our relations — on trade, on security, and on people-to-people ties.”
“I am the president of the European Council, but I am also an Overseas Citizen of India. As you can imagine, it has a special meaning for me. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from. The connection between Europe and India is personal to me,” he said.
Goa, which was under Portuguese rule for several centuries, was liberated on December 19, 1961. Costa was born in Lisbon on July 17, 1961, nearly five months before Goa’s liberation.
India and the 27-nation EU bloc also announced a joint strategic agenda for the next five years and signed 13 agreements, including one related to the conclusion of FTA negotiations.
“Our summit sends a clear message to the world: at a time when the global order is changing, the European Union and India stand together as strategic and reliable partners,” Costa said, adding that the partnership was moving to the next stage.
(PTI)
