Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: European Council President Antonio Costa on Tuesday said he was “very proud” of his ancestral roots in Goa and described the connection between Europe and India as “something personal to me”, as New Delhi and the European Union announced the conclusion of an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA), described as the “mother of all deals.”“Today is a historic moment. We are opening a new chapter in our relations – on trade, on security, on people-to-people ties,” Costa said at a press conference at the Hyderabad House in the presence of PM Modi and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen following the India–EU summit talksDuring his remarks, Costa highlighted his personal connection with India, saying he was “also an overseas Indian citizen,” and pulled out his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card from his suit pocket and showed it to the gathering.“Also because we conclude today our trade negotiations, we relaunched at the Leaders’ meeting that I had the pleasure to host, in May 2021, in my previous capacity. Our summit sends a clear message to the world: at a time when the global order is being fundamentally reshaped, the European Union and India stand together as strategic and reliable partners,” Costa said.“Today, we are taking our partnership to the next level,” he added.“I am the President of the European Council, but I am also an overseas Indian citizen. Then, as you can imagine, for me, it has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from. And, the connection between Europe and India is something personal to me,” he said.In line with their vision for a rules-based global order, India and the 27-nation EU bloc also rolled out a joint comprehensive strategic agenda for the next five years and finalised 13 agreements, including one related to the conclusion of FTA negotiations.The OCI scheme, meant for persons of Indian origin who are foreign nationals, was introduced through an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955, in August 2005. A registered OCI holder is granted a multiple-entry, multi-purpose, lifelong visa to visit India, though the status does not provide political rights, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.Goa was a Portuguese territory for several centuries before it was liberated from colonial rule on December 19, 1961. Costa was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 17, 1961, nearly five months before Goa’s liberation.Earlier, Prime Minister Modi hosted von der Leyen and Costa for the summit talks in New Delhi. The two EU leaders were also chief guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path on Monday.“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, such an impressive display of India’s capabilities and diversity,” Costa said.
