Piyush Goyal to visit Brussels, discuss India-EU trade, progress in FTA

NEW DELHI: Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal will travel to Brussels on Saturday for a high-level dialogue with MaroS Šefcovic, Commissioner of the European Commission for Trade and Economic Security to give "political directions" to expedite the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the EU, the government said Friday.

"The leaders are expected to discuss the global economic situation amid trade disruptions, give political directions to expedite the FTA negotiations, and explore a commercially significant, balanced, equitable, ambitious, and mutually beneficial FTA," the commerce department said in a statement.

India and the EU began FTA negotiations in June 2022. Despite nine intense rounds of talks, progress has been slow.