Ursula von der Leyen said, “I’m so glad to be in India today. India and Europe have made a clear choice. The choice of strategic partnership, dialogue and openness. Leveraging our complementary strengths. And building mutual resilience. We are showing a fractured world that another way is possible.”

Costa, in a post on X, said “Honoured to arrive in New Delhi for the 16th #EUIndia Summit, on the eve of India’s 77th Republic Day. Celebrating a strong and growing EU-India partnership – from trade and security to the clean transition and vibrant people-to-people connections.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with Union MoS Jitin Prasada after she arrived in New Delhi on Saturday. (PTI)

The EU leaders, along with Prime Minister Modi, will co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit Tuesday.

According to sources, the security and defence partnership agreement will be signed between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas.

The partnership will cover areas of cooperation in maritime security, cyber issues, hybrid threats, resilience and protection of critical infrastructure, counter-terrorism, organised crime, and cooperation in multilateral fora like the UN and for peacekeeping operations, non-proliferation and disarmament, space security and defence.

The agreement aims to facilitate joint initiatives and defence cooperation, with India potentially participating in EU defence initiatives.

The partnership includes annual strategic dialogues and various operational mechanisms, which will be led by senior officials in the rank of Defence and Home Secretaries.

India will be the third country in Asia to sign a security and defence partnership with the EU, the other two being Japan and South Korea. It is taking place at a time when the US National Defence Strategy and National Security Strategy seem to have softened its position on China, and is now focused on the Western Hemisphere.

India and the EU will also start negotiations on a Security of Information Agreement which will allow for broader exchange of classified information, “signalling increased trust”, sources said. This too is important since the EU as a whole will open negotiations – some of the east European countries and the Baltic countries have an unfavourable view of India’s approach towards Russia in the context of the Ukraine war, now nearly four years old. India already has bilateral security of information pacts with France and Germany.

According to officials, the leaders’ statement following the EU College of Commissioners’ visit to India in February 2025 had agreed to explore a security and defence partnership. During the visit, the EU Commissioner for Defence and Space had held discussions with Indian ministers and officials.

In December 2025, a delegation of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers visited Brussels and met the EU Commissioner for Defence and Space.

Earlier, in September 2025, a delegation of the EU Political and Security Committee, representing all 27 EU member states, visited India and met Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri along with Deputy NSA Pawan Kapoor.

The India-EU joint naval exercises were conducted in the Indian Ocean in June 2025, the Gulf of Guinea in October 2023 and in the Gulf of Aden in June 2021. They also cooperated in escort operations for humanitarian assistance near the coast of Somalia in 2018 and 2019.

In April 2025