Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said India and the 27-nation EU bloc are “really very near” to concluding talks for the proposed free trade agreement, with only a few issues left to be resolved.
He said India and the European Union (EU) have both agreed to respect each other’s sensitivities so that they do not let the irritants hold back agreements.
“I would believe that in the case of the European Union, we are really very near.
“I think we are very close to finalising a very good, robust free trade agreement with the EU faster than most people would imagine,” Goyal told reporters in Bern , as reported by PTI.
In June 2022, India and the 27-nation EU bloc resumed negotiations for a comprehensive free trade agreement, an investment protection agreement and a pact on geographical indications (GIs) after a gap of over eight years.
The negotiations stalled in 2013 due to differences over the level of opening up of the markets.
