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Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday expressed confidence that India and the European Union are committed to an early conclusion of their Free Trade Agreement, though he refrained from giving a specific timeline.
"The air is pregnant with possibilities. While every agreement has many dynamics, I can say with certainty both sides are committed to an early conclusion of the agreement. Whether it happens in months or next week, let us wait and watch," Goyal told media persons on the sidelines of the Pravasi Rajasthani Divas here. The minister said EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic was in India for two days and held meetings with him, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The high-level EU delegation included Commissioner Sefcovic, Sabine Weyand, Director General DG Trade, Herve Delphin, EU Ambassador to India, Sofia Asteriadi, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Sefcovic, Mate Kander, Assistant to Director General Weyand, Christophe Kiener, EU Chief Negotiator, Petros Sourmelis, Head of Trade Section, EU Delegation to India and DG Trade India team members Luis Portero and Jorge Torres. "His team was in India for around eight days. We had very detailed discussions. The framework for FTA with EU is almost ready. Our discussion was very fruitful. I hope we will finalise it soon," Goyal said. The minister attributed the growing international interest in trade agreements with India to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decisive leadership, the country's strong democracy, and its status as the world's fastest-growing major economy. "Today, the entire world is seeing that with 140 crore Indians' skills and a young population creating demand, India has become the centre of global attraction," he said. Goyal highlighted that India produces 24 lakh science, technology, mathematics, and engineering graduates every year, making it an attractive destination for trade and investment. Providing an update on other trade negotiations, Goyal said Chile's minister had visited two days ago and progress was made toward an FTA. He said discussions with Israel were advancing, with both countries having appointed chief negotiators and formed negotiating teams. "We hope the first phase of the FTA with Israel will be completed soon," he added. The minister said talks with Oman are in their final stages, while New Zealand's minister is expected to arrive soon as those negotiations are also nearing completion. "Italy's Deputy Prime Minister is coming tomorrow. This is India's picture today. This is India's potential. This is India's bright future," Goyal concluded. (ANI)
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