New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday thanked Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and several other world leaders who extended Republic Day wishes to India.

Jaishankar, in posts on X, received wishes from all over the world on the occassion.

He thanked Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan for his wishes.

'Appreciate your warm wishes FM Ararat Mirzoyan,' he said in a post on X.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2015726412599378011?s=20

Jaishankar thanked Abdulla Khaleel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives.

'Thank you for your greetings Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Abdulla Khaleel,' he said.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2015726781584777605?s=20

He also thanked Abdulla Shahid, President of the Maldivian Democratic Party.

'Thank you Abdulla Shahid, President of the Maldivian Democratic Party, for your warm wishes on India's 77th Republic Day.'

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2015727156962492657?s=20

He also thanked Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong.

In a post on X, he said, 'Thank you my friend, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong for your warm wishes on India's 77th Republic Day.'

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2015727876507844760?s=20

India's 77th Republic Day parade concluded on Monday after a spectacular showcase of the country's military might and diverse culture at Kartavya Path.

After the parade and after seeing off the President and the visiting foreign dignitaries, Prime Minister Modi kept with his custom of walking along the Kartavya Path.

He was seen waving to the spectators who had gathered to witness the Republic Day parades.

At the end of the ceremony, President Droupadi Murmu, along with Republic Day Parade Chief Guests, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, were escorted by the President's Bodyguard, also known as 'Rashtrapati Ke Angrakshak,' as they departed for Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India was privileged to host European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the 77th Republic Day celebrations.

PM Modi said that the presence of the EU Delegation underscores the growing strength of the India-European Union partnership.

In a post on X, he said, 'India is privileged to host European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during our Republic Day celebrations. Their presence underscores the growing strength of the India-European Union partnership and our commitment to shared values. The visit will add momentum to the deepening engagement and cooperation between India and Europe across diverse sectors.'

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2015731747842142409?s=20

Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen called India a key global partner and said, 'A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure,' as top European leaders arrived in New Delhi to attend the 77th Republic Day celebrations and the 16th EU-India Summit, scheduled for Tuesday.

Von der Leyen described being invited as Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations as 'the honour of a lifetime', underlining the growing strategic convergence between India and the European Union.

Through an official X post, she said,' It is the honour of a lifetime to be Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations. A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure. And we all benefit.'

Her remarks come as senior EU leaders, including the Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, and the Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, as well as Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, Maros Sefcovic, signalled strong momentum in EU-India relations spanning trade, security and defence cooperation.

Meanwhile, the European Union trade chief Maros Sefcovic said a trade deal with India is 'very close' as the bloc aims to reduce steep tariffs for European companies in India.

In an interview with Euronews, Sefcovic said the two sides are 'checking their final numbers' and referred to the agreement as the 'mother of all deals' as it looks to open a market of 1.4 billion people for European exports and services.

India maintains duties as high as 150% in some sectors, effectively shutting European exporters out of large parts of the economy.

'In some sector, India has tariff going up to 150%. And therefore, big parts of the economy has been completely closed off to the European exporters,' Sefcovic told Euronews in New Delhi ahead of an EU-India summit, adding: 'Now the big benefit will be opening the economy.'

If concluded, the agreement would create a free trade area covering 2 billion people and would lift Indian customs duties on imports from Europe. Not all sectors will be included, Sefcovic said, as per Euro News.

'We decided to keep the most sensitive sectors for both of us outside of this deal so we can really focus on the positive outcome,' EuroNews quoted him as saying.

Around 6,000 European companies currently operate in India. Trade in goods between the EU and India has surged by almost 90% over the past decade, according to Commission figures, with 48.8 billion Euros of goods exported in 2024. (ANI)