Goyal to visit Brussels to push EU FTA talks

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Brussels on January 8—9 to push forward negotiations on the free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU), which have gained momentum as both sides move closer to the India-EU Summit next month.

- FE BUREAU

Before arriving in Brussels, the minister will spend a day in Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein is part of the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA), with which an FTA was operationalised on October 1. The other EFTA members are Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.

The EU’s top leadership — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa — will be the chief guests at India’s Republic Day celebrations. A day later, they will co-chair the biennial India-EU Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.