India and the European Union have doubled their commitment to conclude negotiations in the free trade agreement by the end of this year, after the Minister of the Union’s Minister’s visit to Brussels, Piyush Goyal, resulted in “productive” talks.
Goyal is currently part of a tour in Europe at three nations. He also met his counterparts in the United Kingdom and Norway for AFT discussions with the respective regions.
“We make solid progress towards a balanced and mutually beneficial case … Let us make this agreement by the end of this year, the agreement will open the market for both – goods and services,” said Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade.
Goyal, too, is committed to concluding ALE negotiations by 2025, and announced that the next round will be held between May 12 and 16 in New Delhi.
“The two parties have undertaken to solve the pending problems … An equal orientation given to prices, non-tariff measures in talks … We want to make access to the market significant for both while respecting the sensitivities that savings can have in certain sectors,” he added.
Goyal said the agreement will improve market access, and also align India and EU regulatory practices, while increasing investments. “We discussed investments and mobility to shape a ready for the future agreement,” he added.
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