India, EU push to accelerate free trade agreement talks during Goyal’s Brussels visit – Firstpost

India and the European Union advanced discussions on their proposed Free Trade Agreement during Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal’s two-day visit to Brussels, which concluded on January 9.

Goyal was in the Belgian capital on January 8 and 9, where he held high-level talks with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic. The meetings focused on accelerating the long-pending India–EU FTA negotiations, with both sides giving clear direction to their negotiating teams to resolve outstanding issues and speed up the process.

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Push for early conclusion

According to the Ministry of Commerce, both sides reviewed progress across key negotiating tracks and underscored the need to conclude a fair, balanced and ambitious agreement. The discussions reflected strong political intent in New Delhi and Brussels to move beyond prolonged technical negotiations and work towards an early conclusion of the deal.

Protecting farmers and MSMEs

The talks placed emphasis on balancing trade ambitions with domestic priorities. India and the EU stressed that the agreement must safeguard the interests of farmers and micro, little and medium enterprises, while also helping Indian industries integrate more deeply into global supply chains.

In a post on X, Goyal remarked the discussions reaffirmed commitment to a rules-based trading framework and a modern economic partnership aligned with shared priorities.

Built on senior-level negotiations

The ministerial engagement followed senior-level meetings held on January 6 and 7 between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and European Commission Director-General for Trade Sabine Weyand. Those talks focused on taking stock of negotiations, narrowing differences and clarifying unresolved issues ahead of the ministerial review.

Progress on key trade pillars

During the Brussels meetings, Goyal and Sefcovic held detailed deliberations on core elements of the proposed FTA, including bazaar access for goods, rules of origin and services. Both sides acknowledged steady progress and reiterated their commitment to concluding an agreement aligned with shared economic priorities and a rules-based trading system.

At the conclusion of the visit, India and the EU expressed confidence in moving towards an early conclusion of a modern and mutually beneficial FTA, which both sides view as strategically important for future economic cooperation.

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Liechtenstein visit and EFTA engagement

Before arriving in Brussels, Goyal visited Liechtenstein, where he led a business roundtable with senior executives from leading local companies. The discussions focused on the implementation of the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), marking the first-ever visit by an Indian Cabinet Minister to the country.

Investment, technology and value chains

During the interactions, Goyal remarked the India–EFTA TEPA goes beyond trade liberalisation and offers a broader framework for investment, technology collaboration, skill development and the creation of resilient value chains. He encouraged Liechtenstein companies to explore investment opportunities in India, particularly in view of the $100 billion investment commitment made by EFTA countries.

Industry and leadership meetings

As part of the visit, Goyal toured the headquarters of the Hilti Group and met its chief executive, Jahangir Doongaji. The discussions focused on expanding localisation, increasing value addition and scaling up global shipments from India, along with technology collaboration to support safer and smarter infrastructure.

The minister also met Liechtenstein Prime Minister Brigitte Haas to discuss ways to deepen economic and investment cooperation under the India–EFTA TEPA. The talks explored collaboration in skill development, vocational training and industry-academia partnerships.

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