New Delhi, 13 September (IANS). Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday that India is committed to the European Union (EU) this year for a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Union Minister Goyal met European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefkovic and said that the country is expecting continuous talks.
The Union Commerce Minister posted on X, “It was a pleasure for us to host you in the 13th round of the Indo-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Dialogue. We are soon committed to work towards a balanced and mutually beneficial FTA to present wide opportunities for both sides. Thanks to your journey.
Sepchovic had earlier posted that he has come to India for the third time this year to pursue an ambitious EU-India FTA with Union Minister Goyal.
He said in a post on social media platform X, “We are increasing our efforts to fulfill the agreement by 2025. The auto sector should be at its center, which promotes two-way trade for both sides through Win-Win Tariff Liberalization.”
At an event in the national capital on Friday, Sefkovic said that India and European Union are interacting on an important free trade agreement with unprecedented speed and described the ongoing discussions as one of the most intensive and creative discussions ever between the two partners.
He said that although the talks on the free trade agreement were also held earlier, the process had never reached the level of such seriousness, mutual trust and shared ambition.
The commissioner said that maximum efforts are being made to finalize the negotiations by the end of the year, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Union President Ursula von Der Leyen.
He further said that India is rapidly becoming a major engine of the global economy and a strong economic partnership with India will add significant value to the European Union.
Goyal said the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would open new avenues for Indian manufacturers with its European counterparts and other parts of the world, which will promote joint enterprises, technology partnerships and collaborative innovation.
-IANS
SKT/
