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Stepping up India's trade diplomacy on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Milwaukee, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a fresh round of talks with counterparts from Canada, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, as New Delhi pursued trade agreements and greater market access with major partners.
Goyal's meeting with Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu focused on negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, and the two countries' target of taking bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030. "A productive meeting with Mr. Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade of Canada, on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Milwaukee," Goyal said. "We reviewed the ongoing negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), launched by our Prime Ministers in March this year, to take bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030," he said. Goyal stated that the meeting built on his recent discussions with Sidhu in Mumbai. "Building on our recent meeting in Mumbai, we reaffirmed our commitment to expediting negotiations and working towards an early conclusion of the agreement," he said. In another bilateral, Goyal met Saudi Arabia's Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi, with talks centring on negotiations for a free trade agreement between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council. "We discussed progress on the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) FTA negotiations & explored opportunities to further strengthen trade & investment ties between our two nations," Goyal said. South Korea was also part of Goyal's Milwaukee trade push. He met South Korean Trade Minister Park Jung-Sung, discussing the upgrading of the India-Korea CEPA. The talks covered balanced trade growth and improved market access for Indian agricultural, pharmaceutical and marine products, alongside Korean manufacturing investment in India. These sessions followed a series of bilaterals Goyal held with major trading partners during the Milwaukee gathering. He met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as India and the United States continued negotiations on an interim trade agreement. "Had a productive discussion with USTR Greer towards early conclusion of a mutually beneficial interim agreement under the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement," Goyal said after the meeting, while both also exchanged views on G20 deliberations. Greer separately described his talks with Goyal as "very constructive". Goyal met European Union Trade Commissioner Maro efovi to discuss the India-EU free trade agreement, the Trade and Technology Council, World Trade Organisation reform and G20 priorities. With Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services Mrcio Fernando Elias Rosa, Goyal discussed the expansion of the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement, alongside sectoral cooperation, investment and coordination at the G20 and WTO. Goyal's meeting with Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard focused on expanding trade and investment ties, exploring what Goyal described as "huge potential for deeper cooperation". Poland was another focus, as Goyal met Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domaski to discuss new avenues for strengthening trade and investment, highlighting how an India-EU trade agreement could create opportunities for businesses and deepen bilateral economic cooperation. The Milwaukee meetings brought several major Indian trade negotiations onto a single diplomatic stage, engaging the United States, European Union, Canada, GCC and South Korea, while simultaneously advancing commercial ties with Brazil, Mexico and Poland. (ANI)
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