India and Gulf to begin free trade talks soon Cooperation Council

Negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are set to resume, with both sides having appointed their chief negotiators

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The talks, originally announced in November of the previous year, were stalled due to a delay in the appointment of the GCC’s chief negotiator. However, with this key appointment now in place, discussions on the FTA are expected to commence as early as the following month, according to officials from India’s commerce ministry.

Exchange of terms of reference has already occurred, and the chief negotiators’ appointments signal a reinvigoration of the talks. Both sides express eagerness to expedite these negotiations, aiming to complete them as swiftly as possible, with the first round of talks expected within a month.

The GCC is a regional union comprising six Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.