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As many as 20 out of 24 chapters under the ambitious India-EU FTA have been finalised, with a few issues remaining under ongoing negotiations, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said Thursday.
The commerce secretary said both parties are "virtually engaged on a day-to-day basis", and are trying to see if we can meet the timeline before the leaders can meet, he said. The India-EU summit is scheduled for January 27. "We have closed 20 out of 24 chapters completely, there are few issues which are still ongoing negotiations, which we are virtually engaged on a day to day basis, and we are trying to see if we can meet the timeline before our leaders can meet," the secretary said. The Secretary further resolved that they were expecting to conclude the negotiations and have the "deal ready." "Foreign Secretary also talked about it in Ahmedabad two days back. We are expecting to conclude the negotiations and have the deal ready" He said that both the parties are trying to see that "we can meet that (January Deadline) because that's a good occasion when our leaders are meeting, but we can only make efforts." "As I told you, coming near is not good enough," he said, however, adding a caveat. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, concluded a significant two-day visit to Brussels (January 8-9), marking a decisive step forward in the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. In a series of high-level dialogues with Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maros Sefcovic, both leaders provided guidance to negotiating teams to resolve pending issues and expedite the agreement. The visit capped a week of intensive diplomatic and technical engagements in Brussels, underscoring the political resolve of both sides to deliver a comprehensive deal. The Ministerial engagement was preceded by high-level discussions between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and the Director-General for Trade, European Commission, Sabine Weyand, on 6-7 January 2026. The meetings focused on stocktaking the progress achieved across various negotiating tracks. The officials worked to "narrow divergences" and ensure clarity on outstanding issues, clearing the path for the Ministerial dialogue. During their engagement, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Commissioner Sefcovic carried out detailed deliberations across key areas of the proposed agreement. Both sides took note of the steady progress achieved across various negotiating tracks including Market Access for Goods, Rules of Origin, Services etc. The Ministerial-level discussions reaffirmed the strong political resolve on either side to address pending issues through constructive engagement. Both sides emphasized the strategic importance of concluding a fair, balanced, and ambitious agreement that aligns with their shared values, economic priorities, and commitment to a rules-based trading framework. The visit concluded with both parties expressing confidence and a renewed determination towards the early conclusion of a modern, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial agreement. FTA talks were resumed after a gap of about nine years in 2022, since the earlier negotiations were left off in 2013 due to difference in the scope and expectations from the deal. The FTA was expected to be signed by end of 2025, a target reaffirmed by leaders in early 2025, but got dragged into the new year. (ANI)
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