India has taken a historic decision for Republic Day 2026. This time the top leaders of the European Union (EU), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will be invited as chief guests. This will be the first time that two top leaders of an international organization will together attend this prestigious national function of India. Both the leaders will reach New Delhi in January 2026, which is considered a symbol of giving a new direction and strengthening to the deepening strategic, economic and diplomatic relations between India and the European Union.

According to the Indian Express report, sources have said that the process of inviting European Union (EU) leaders as the chief guests of Republic Day 2026 is in the final stages. New Delhi and Brussels will soon announce this formal invitation and acceptance. Inviting a foreign leader as the chief guest on Republic Day is considered an important and symbolic step in India’s foreign policy. This selection is not just a formality, but it reflects India’s strategic, economic and geopolitical priorities.

Who was the chief guest in 2025?

India celebrates Republic Day every year on 26 January, which commemorates the implementation of the Constitution in 1950. This event is a symbol of India’s democratic heritage and international friendship. Till now, heads of state or government of many countries have been the chief guests of this function. In 2025, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was the chief guest, while hosting two top EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa in 2026 will add a new chapter to India’s diplomatic history.

New strength in India-European Union relations

There has been significant progress in relations between India and the 27-member European Union in the last few months. After the visit of top representatives of the European Commission to India in February, dialogue and cooperation between the two sides has gained momentum. On October 20, the European Union approved a new strategic agenda, which aims to take India-EU relations to a new level. This agenda includes finalizing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), promoting cooperation in technical, defence, security and public relations sectors.

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India and China have once again discussed the border dispute. On Wednesday, China’s Defense Ministry said that there was an open and deep discussion between the armies of the two countries regarding control and management in the western border area. According to the ministry, both sides will now continue dialogue through military and diplomatic routes.

No official statement has yet come from the Ministry of External Affairs of India on this meeting. This conversation has taken place at a time when relations between India and China are gradually improving. After the conflict in Galvan Valley in 2020, tension between the two countries had increased. This year both the countries have taken many steps to improve relations.

Flights resumed between India and China

Recently direct flights between India and China resumed. Indigo Airlines’ flight from Kolkata to Guangzhou was the first step in this direction. Both countries called it a major achievement in relations.

Prime Minister Modi also participated in the SCO conference

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference held in China’s Tianjin city. This was his visit to China after many years. During this, PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi Jinping had made this appeal during the meeting

During the meeting, Xi Jinping described India-China relations as an example of dragon and elephant coming together and appealed to both the countries to increase mutual trust and cooperation. This conversation is being considered an important step towards reducing tension between the two countries and bringing stability in Asia.

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The relations between India and Canada have always been based on economic, cultural and safety cooperation, but a statement by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a year ago, made a big rift in these relationships. Trudeau accused India of involvement in the murder of Khalistani Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This statement was a serious diplomatic challenge for India. India described these allegations as completely baseless and absurd.

Canadian intelligence officials Nathali Drin and David Morrison, leaking information to the Washington Post, accused India’s Home Minister Amit Shah of targeting separatists. India had lodged a strong protest on this and the matter became a cause of disbelief in the relationship between the two countries. In this period, the relations between India and Canada became so stressful that business and diplomatic dialogue almost came to a standstill. The rhetoric between the leaders of the two countries worsened the situation.

How did the initiative to improve relationships?

The situation appeared to change in 2025 when Canadian National Security Advisor Nathali Droin and Deputy Foreign Minister David Morison arrived in India. Here he met NSA Ajit Doval of India. This meeting was not just a formal dialogue, but it is considered to be a serious attempt to reduce the tussle in relationships. Security, energy and business were made primary agenda during the meeting. India clearly said that concrete steps should be taken on the extradition of Khalistani extremism and terrorists sitting in Canada. At the same time, Canada also assured to share intelligence information and strengthen anti -terrorism cooperation. In this way, the conversation created a positive atmosphere and raised hopes of improving relationships.

India-Canada relations will improve in future?

This NSA level conversation is being seen as a turning point in the relationship between the two countries. If India and Canada are united on security issues, then business and energy cooperation can also get new pace. India’s big concern is that Canada take strict steps on Khalistani activities and do not give political asylum to the terrorists. At the same time, India is a big economic and strategic partnership for Canada. If this conversation continues in this positive direction even then in the coming years, the relationship between the two countries can return to the old trust again.

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Abraham Accord: The Abraham Agreement, which normalized relations between Israel and many Arab countries, is now in crisis. The agreement was reached in September 2020, in the first term of US President Donald Trump. Under this, many Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) normalized relations with Israel.

The UAE has now warned that if Israel occupies the West Bank, it will damage the agreement and the expectations of President Trump may weaken.

Israeli’s plan to capture West Bank

The UAE warning has come at a time when Israel is considering a plan to occupy a large part of Palestine’s West Bank. This is considered to be the answer to the steps of Western countries that recognize Palestinian regions. Only US President Trump can do so that this move can be stopped. The message of UAE is clear that if the US does not stop Israel, then the important efforts of the Trump administration’s foreign policy may face a crisis.

UAE describes West Bank as red line

The UAE has already warned Israel that capturing the West Bank will have to cross the ‘Red Line’. UAE says that this will weaken the spirit of Abraham Agreement. A senior Amirati officer described it as a threat to two state solutions. The Palestinian Authority has welcomed the UAE’s stance, while the Israeli government has not yet made any official comments. In the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu, right -wing Finance Minister Bejelle Smotrich recently proposed to capture about four to five parts of the West Bank.

Since the six -day war of 1967, Israel has settled around 160 settlements in West Bank and Eastern Jerusalem, in which about 7 lakh Jews live. At the same time, 33 lakh Palestinians live in these settlements and surrounding areas. These settlements are considered illegal under international law, and Palestinians want it for an independent nation in the future.

Pakistan News: Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri has said that the relations between India and Pakistan are going through the worst phase in their history. However, he also expressed the possibility that there may be a sudden positive change in bilateral relations.

In the program ‘Pakistan-India Relations: Current Status and Further Raha’ organized by the Institute of Peace and Connectivity (IPAC) in Lahore, Kasuri stressed that mutual talks are the only way to resolve the pending issues of both countries.

This thing said about Kashmir issue

Describing India-Pakistan relations as one of the worst phase in history, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri said that even after the war, New Delhi and Islamabad used to come to the conversation table soon to restore the peace process.

Kasuri, president of the Institute of Peace and Connectivity (IPAC), said that if the two countries lose the opportunity to resolve mutual disputes peacefully, it would be unfortunate. He insisted that there is already an agreed blueprint in the form of a four -point formula for the possible solution of the Kashmir issue.

Masharraf’s formula mentioned

Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri mentioned the Kashmir solution suggested to India by former President Pervez Musharraf. Kasuri, who was the Foreign Minister from 2002 to 2007, said that he had worked on the peace process with the governments of former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. He expressed confidence that despite the current disappointing situation, most of the people of India want peace with Pakistan.

Relationships expected to improve

Kasuri said that despite the challenges and the current conflict, sudden positive changes in India-Pakistan relations are possible. He gave the example of a warm welcome in India and a sudden visit to Lahore in 2015, after Musharraf, who is called the architect of the Kargil war.

He claimed that according to reliable reports, Prime Minister Modi was planning to visit Pakistan in April 2021, where he was expecting to meet the then Prime Minister Imran Khan and restore peace process after visiting Hinglaj Mata Temple. Kasuri said that similar unexpected incidents can happen in future.