Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on September 13 said that India remains committed to a mutually beneficial free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) this year. Goyal, who met Maros Sefcovic, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, European Union, said the country is looking forward to the continued dialogue.
“It was a pleasure hosting you for the 13th Round of India-EU FTA negotiations. We remain committed to working towards a balanced and mutually beneficial FTA soon, to unlock massive opportunities on both sides. Thank you for your visit. Looking forward to our continued dialogue,” Goyal posted on X. Sefcovic had earlier posted that he was back in India for the third time this year to advance an ambitious EU-India FTA with Minister Goyal.
“Maximising our efforts to wrap up in 2025. The auto sector should be at its core, boosting two-way trade via win-win tariff liberalisation,” he posted on X. At an event in the national capital on Friday, Sefcovic observed that India and the EU are negotiating a ground-breaking FTA with unprecedented momentum, describing the ongoing discussions as some of the most intensive and constructive ever held between the two partners.
He noted that while negotiations on an FTA had been attempted in the past, never before had the process reached such a level of seriousness, mutual trust, and shared ambition.