Piyush Goyal Urges Sensitivity In EU-India FTA Talks, Emphasises Trade Over Environmental Issues

New Delhi, Oct 25 (KNN) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal emphasised the need for greater mutual sensitivity between India and the European Union to expedite their free trade agreement negotiations, speaking at the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business.

The minister maintained that trade discussions should prioritise commerce-related matters over environmental issues, which he suggested should remain under the purview of specialised bodies like the UNFCCC.

The comments came amid ongoing concerns over the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and deforestation regulation, which India believes could adversely affect its exports.

These measures have faced criticism from Indian leadership, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently characterising them as arbitrary and unilateral impositions.

Goyal adopted a firm stance on India's negotiating position, asserting that the country would not be pressured into accepting unfavorable terms.

"We are no longer a pushover. We don't negotiate from a position of weakness," he stated, particularly highlighting the dairy sector as a non-negotiable area.

He referenced India's previous trade agreements, including those with Australia and EFTA countries, which excluded dairy sector liberalisation.

The minister also drew attention to the significant economic disparity between the negotiating parties, pointing out that India's per capita income of USD 2,500 stands in stark contrast to the EU's USD 60,000.

He stressed that this considerable economic gap should be taken into account during negotiations, calling for the EU to demonstrate understanding of these fundamental differences in their economic positions.

(KNN Bureau)