India-EU trade pact talks need political directions for meaningful deal

The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the European Union (EU) need political directions to reach a commercially meaningful deal while understanding each other's sensitivities, an official statement said on Thursday. The pact came up for discussion during an interaction between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Ambassadors of the European Commission delegation. Goyal said that both sides are aiming for a balanced, ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial FTA. "The FTA negotiations, after 9 rounds of intense engagement, need political directions to arrive at a commercially meaningful deal while understanding the sensitivities of each other," the commerce and industry ministry said. The minister also noted that any sustainability discussions must appreciate the principle of 'Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)' and implementation of such measures should take into account differing paths of development. These remarks