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European Council President Antonio Costa flaunts OCI card
Costa traced his Indian roots through his father's Goan family, with relatives still living in Madgaon.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Wed, 28, Jan 2026
- 02:34 EST
- 15
European Council President Antonio Costa / Wikimedia commons
The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, spotlighted his Indian heritage in the backdrop of Indian and the European Union announcing their historic Free Trade Agreement.
During his address, Costa took out his OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card and flashed it for the audience, highlighting how the FTA held "special meaning" for him.
The incident took place at the joint press meet which witnessed the Indian Prime Minister and European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, along with Costa, talk about the newly signed Trade deal, in Delhi, on Jan. 27.
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Costa said, "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."
Highlighted his Goan roots, he added, "I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from. The connection between Europe and India is something personal to me.” he added."
Costa previously talked about his Indian roots while attending a Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event. He talked about his Indian origin and also remarked that he still has family in Madgaon, noting, "Madgoan is the place where my father spent his childhood and had a home. I will visit my relatives."
Described as the "mother of all deals" by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the FTA creates a massive free trade zone covering around 2 billion people and about a quarter of global GDP.
The FTA is expected to significantly boost bilateral trade, enhance market access for Indian exports such as textiles, leather, gems, and agricultural products and EU goods like automobiles, wines, and processed foods, while strengthening supply chains and reducing strategic dependencies amid global trade uncertainties.
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