Panaji: European Council president Antonio Costa on Tuesday flaunted his OCI card and shared his ancestral connection to Goa. “I am the president of the European Council, but I am also an overseas Indian citizen. For me, it has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from, and the connection between Europe and India is something personal for me.” He spoke at the EU-India summit and was applauded by PM Narendra Modi when he displayed his Indian OCI.He described the trade deal as “a historic moment” and “a new chapter” in trade, security, and people-to-people ties.Costa previously served as prime minister of Portugal from 2015 to 2024 and visited Goa in 2017. Costa’s family history traces back to Goa, which was a Portuguese colony until 1961. His father, Orlando da Costa, was born in Goa and was a noted writer whose work reflected strong Goan influences. The Costa family retains an ancestral home on Abade Faria Road in Margao, where extended relatives continue to live. During his visit to Goa in 2017, Costa spent time with family members in his father’s hometown.In Goa and among segments of the Indian diaspora, Costa is often affectionately referred to as “Babush”, a Konkani term of endearment.“Our summit sends a clear message to the world—at a time when the global order is being fundamentally reshaped, the European Union and India stand together as strategic and reliable partners,” said Costa.He also had the opportunity to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, in which he reflected upon the leader’s words. “Peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds,” he said.
