Metro India News | new delhi

India and the European Union have agreed to accelerate negotiations on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with trade ministers from both sides directing officials to resolve outstanding issues at the earliest. The renewed push reflects strong political intent to conclude the long-pending pact, which is seen as crucial for boosting bilateral trade and investment.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held detailed discussions with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic during his two-day visit to Brussels, which concluded on January 9. The leaders reviewed the overall progress of the negotiations and provided clear guidance to their respective negotiating teams to bridge differences and speed up the process.

According to an official statement from the commerce ministry, the talks covered key negotiating areas such as market access for goods, rules of origin, and trade in services. These issues are considered central to the agreement and have witnessed intense discussions over multiple rounds.

The ministerial engagement followed high-level talks held earlier between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and European Commission Director-General for Trade Sabine Weyand on January 6 and 7. During these discussions, officials worked to narrow divergences, clarify technical concerns, and prepare the ground for productive ministerial-level dialogue.

The government said the ministerial discussions reaffirmed the strong commitment on both sides to address pending challenges through constructive engagement. With India and the EU keen to diversify trade partnerships amid global economic uncertainty, both sides are now looking to conclude the FTA negotiations at the earliest possible time.