January 2026

In short: International current affairs for January 2026 - summits, indices, appointments, awards, bilateral ties, defence, world sport and organisations.

Current Affairs — India › International Affairs · 15 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu

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International current affairs, January 2026 — EU leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen as the first EU Chief Guests at India's Republic Day, the 16th India-EU Summit sealing the India-EU FTA, visits by Germany's Chancellor Merz and the UAE President, the WEF meeting at Davos, Bulgaria joining the eurozone, and the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize to Graca Machel.

The Berlaymont building in Brussels, headquarters of the European Commission — representative of the 16th India-EU Summit — The Berlaymont building, Brussels — headquarters of the European Commission and seat of the EU leadership that co-chaired the 16th India-EU Summit (Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen were Chief Guests at India's 77th Republic Day) · Euro Pictures / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

January 2026 — At a Glance

January 2026 put Europe at the centre of India's diplomacy. The two heads of the European Union were Chief Guests at the Republic Day parade — a first — and the same visit produced a long-awaited India-EU trade deal. Germany's new Chancellor and the UAE President also came to Delhi, business leaders gathered at Davos, and on 1 January Bulgaria became the newest euro member.

Five biggest headlines

European Council President Antonio Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were Chief Guests at India's 77th Republic Day — the first time EU leaders held that honour — and co-chaired the 16th India-EU Summit.
India and the EU finalised their Free Trade Agreement (FTA), called the 'mother of all deals'; the EU became India's 22nd FTA partner, covering all 27 EU states.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made his first India visit (19 bilateral pacts; 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership); UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed visited to push trade toward $200 billion by 2032.
Bulgaria became the 21st eurozone member on 1 January 2026, replacing its lev with the euro.
The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2025 was awarded to Mozambican humanitarian and stateswoman Graca Machel.

1. Bilateral Relations & Visits

The exam picks the pairing (who visited whom) and the headline outcome. January's leaders were all European or West Asian — learn each as 'country - who - what'.

EU - Republic Day 2026 Chief Guests — European Council President Antonio Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were Chief Guests at India's 77th Republic Day (26 Jan 2026) — the first time EU leaders held that honour — and co-chaired the 16th India-EU Summit.
Germany - Chancellor Friedrich Merz — Chancellor Friedrich Merz made his first India visit, marking 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership and 75 years of diplomatic relations. 19 bilateral pacts were signed across defence industry, higher education and skills, critical minerals and semiconductors.
UAE - President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed — UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed visited India, with the two sides setting a target to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032, deepening one of India's closest Gulf partnerships.

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany — **The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin** - Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first India visit marked 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership (19 pacts signed). Brandenburg Gate at night · Thomas Wolf (www.foto-tw.de) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

2. Trade, Summits & Conferences

India-EU FTA — the 'mother of all deals'

What — India and the EU concluded a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), announced at the 16th India-EU Summit in India. The EU became India's 22nd FTA partner; the pact gives India preferential access to all 27 EU member states under a single customs union.
What India gains — Immediate EU duty elimination on 70.4% of tariff lines, covering 90.7% of India's export value; overall, over 99% of India's export value to the EU benefits from concessions.
WEF Annual Meeting at Davos — The World Economic Forum (WEF) held its annual meeting at Davos, Switzerland (Jan 2026). The WEF also announced five new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution — including in France, the UK and the UAE.

The Congress Centre at Davos, Switzerland — **The Congress Centre, Davos** - the World Economic Forum held its annual meeting here in January 2026. Davos Congress Centre · World Economic Forum / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

3. International Organisations — Recent Developments

Bulgaria joins the eurozone — Bulgaria became the 21st eurozone member on 1 January 2026, replacing its lev with the euro; the single-currency area now covers more than 350 million people.
India takes two 2026 chairs — Alongside the 16th Summit, India assumed the International IDEA chair and the Kimberley Process chair for 2026 — the latter the global scheme to keep 'conflict diamonds' out of the legitimate trade.

4. Awards & Honours

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2025 — The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development (2025) was awarded to Mozambican humanitarian and stateswoman Graca Machel (announced Jan 2026), honouring her lifelong work for children, women and human rights.

Mozambican stateswoman Graca Machel — **Graca Machel** - the Mozambican humanitarian and stateswoman awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2025. Graca Machel · Zahur Ramji / Mediapix / World Economic Forum / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)