New Delhi: European Council President Antonio Costa on Tuesday emphasised the shared responsibility of India and the European Union (EU) to uphold international law with the United Nations Charter at the core. Speaking after talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Costa highlighted the strengthened cooperation between India and the EU in reinforcing their common commitments.
Addressing a joint press conference, Costa said, “As the world’s largest democracies and supporters of multilateralism, the European Union and India bear a shared responsibility to maintain international law centred on the UN Charter.” He recalled paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi earlier that day, stating, “His words remain relevant today—peace does not come from the clash of arms but from just conduct by nations, even in difficult circumstances.”
Referring to his Indian heritage, Costa mentioned, “While I serve as European Council President, I am also an emigrant Indian citizen. I take pride in my roots from Goa, where my father’s family originated. The relationship between Europe and India is deeply personal for me.”
He noted that during the summit, India and the EU reaffirmed their commitment to supporting broad, just, and lasting peace efforts in Ukraine. Costa underscored the significant role Prime Minister Modi can play in creating favourable conditions for peace through dialogue and diplomacy. “Our summit reiterated our dedication to comprehensive and durable peace that fully respects Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Ukraine has shown readiness despite difficult compromises. I am confident, Prime Minister Modi, that we can rely on you to foster peace through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for inviting him as the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations, Costa said, “Thank you, Prime Minister, for inviting us to this special occasion. Attending as the chief guest was an honour. It was a powerful display of India’s capabilities and diversity.” He described the moment as historic, marking the beginning of a new chapter in trade, security, and people-to-people connections between India and the EU.
Costa emphasised that in a multipolar world, India and the EU are working together to expand areas of shared prosperity, but stressed that prosperity cannot exist without security. “We are strengthening cooperation to better protect our citizens and shared interests. Together, we face security challenges across the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and globally. This establishes a new level of strategic trust between us. This is the significance of our security and defence partnership—India and the EU’s first comprehensive framework of its kind and the first step towards more ambitious future cooperation,” he added.
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