India and the European Union on Thursday doubled down on their commitment to conclude free trade agreement negotiations by the end of this year, after Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s Brussels visit resulted in “productive” talks.
Goyal is currently on a three-nation tour of Europe. He also met his counterparts in the UK and Norway for FTA talks with the respective regions.
“We’re making solid headway towards balanced, mutually beneficial deal…Let’s get this deal done by the end of this year, the agreement will open up market for both – goods and services,” said Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade.
Goyal, too, committed to conclude FTA negotiations by 2025-end, and announced that the next round will be held between May 12-16 in New Delhi.
“Both sides are committed to resolving pending issues…equal focus given to tariffs, non-tariff measures in talks…We want to make market access meaningful for both while respecting sensitivities that economies may have in certain sectors,” he added.
Goyal said the agreement will enhance market access, and also align India and the EU’s regulatory practices, while boosting investments. “We discussed investments and mobility in shaping a future-ready agreement,” he added.
