India, EU to begin 7th round of discussions on FTA today

THE SIXTH ROUND CONSISTED OF 71 TECHNICAL SESSIONS COVERING 18 OF THE 23 POLICY AREAS AND CHAPTERS

- Rajeev Jayaswal and Rezaul H Laskar

India and the European Union (EU) will launch the seventh round of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) in New Delhi on Monday, along with talks on an investment protection agreement (IPA) and a pact on geographical indications (GIS).

This round of talks is expected to last five days, three officials aware of the development said on condition of anonymity.

The sixth round of negotiations, held in Brussels, concluded on October 27, 2023. The previous round covered policy areas related to goods and government procurement offers, and the seventh round is expected to include services and investment, one of the officials said.

The sixth round had also focused on accelerating work on the text presented by the two sides and some progress was made on technical matters, a second official said. "The stage for the seventh round has been set by the chief negotiators of both sides after two separate meetings - the first in Brussels during mid-November and the second in New Delhi last month," the first official said.

The two sides have already held "substantial" discussions on matters related to goods and public procurements in previous rounds, the third official said. "The two sides were engaged constructively in the last three to four months to iron out differences and prepare the ground for the seventh round," he said.