India, EU to Speed Up FTA Talks

New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) India and the EU have agreed to intensify efforts for early conclusion of negotiations on the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), an official statement said on Tuesday.

The progress of the negotiations was reviewed by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and European Union's Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic here on December 8 and 9.

They held a dialogue to expedite the conclusion of the India-EU FTA and deepen the trade relationship, the commerce ministry said in a statement.

The discussions were aimed at providing strategic guidance to the FTA negotiating teams as both sides work towards concluding the agreement at the earliest, it said.

The meeting between the two takes place against the backdrop of the technical discussions held from 3-9 December here across key chapters of the pact covering Market Access for Goods, Rules of Origin, Services, and Technical Barriers to Trade.

"Both sides took note of the steady progress achieved across various negotiating tracks and agreed on the need to sustain the current momentum through continued exchanges," it added.

The Ministerial-level discussions reaffirmed the strong political resolve on either side to address pending issues through constructive engagement and to work towards a comprehensive, mutually advantageous outcome, it added.

The visit of the EU team "concluded with both parties expressing confidence and a renewed determination to intensify efforts toward the early conclusion of a modern, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial agreement," the ministry said.