European Council Chief António Costa Reveals Indian Roots While Signing Historic India-EU Trade Deal

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 12:28pm on 27 Jan 2026,Tuesday India Global

European Council President António Costa displayed his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card during the India-EU Free Trade Agreement signing in New Delhi on Tuesday. Costa, born in Lisbon to a Portuguese-French mother and Goan-heritage father, expressed pride in his roots, stating "I'm very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father's family came from." His grandfather hailed from Margao, Goa, part of Portuguese India until 1961. Known affectionately as "Babush" in Goan circles, Costa maintains strong ties to his heritage, having visited his ancestral house on Abade Faria Road in 2017. The former Portuguese Prime Minister called the Europe-India connection "something personal to me."

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