New Delhi: India is set to return to the negotiating table with the European Union (EU) to discuss lower import duty for European cars and other items in return for pushing some of its farm products, garments and IT services into the trading block.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told (Times of India) that the dates for resuming the dialogue are being discussed and the government was trying to push the EU trade pact, along with those with Australia and Canada.
"We have gone back to negotiations because in Bangalore, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken up the issue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and she had responded positively, saying 'she will look into it and EU will do justice'. So, we have no reason now to doubt their intentions. Our intention was not to dismantle the talks. It was more to make the point about unilateral action by EU," Sitharaman said.
After taking charge in the summer of 2014, the government had ordered a review of all proposed trade agreements and it was only later that it decided to restart negotiations.
In August, days before talks were to resume, the government had suspended the dialogue with EU, while protesting against a ban on the import of 700 generic medicines from Indian pharmaceutical firms.
QNA
