Piyush Goyal In France To Bolster India-EU Trade And Investment Ties

New Delhi, Jun 2 (KNN) Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal arrived in France on Sunday, marking the beginning of his three-day official visit as part of a broader European tour spanning France and Italy from June 1-5.

The visit underscores India's commitment to strengthening strategic and economic partnerships with key European nations while promoting resilient and inclusive global growth initiatives.

Minister Goyal's agenda in France includes high-level bilateral meetings with senior French officials, notably Economy Minister Eric Lombard and Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin.

These discussions are expected to focus on reinforcing the Indo-French economic partnership and identifying new opportunities for enhanced trade and investment collaboration between the two nations.

The visit features an extensive program of strategic business engagements with executives from major French corporations including Vicat, Total Energies, L'Oréal, Renault, Valeo, EDF, and ATR.

Key forums scheduled during the visit include the India-France Business Round Table and the India-France CEO Forum, designed to facilitate dialogue between prominent industry leaders from both countries.

Minister Goyal will participate in the informal gathering of World Trade Organisation Ministers, conducted alongside the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting.

This platform will provide an opportunity for the Indian minister to engage with international counterparts on critical multilateral trade matters and present India's perspectives on global trade priorities.

The visit encompasses a series of bilateral meetings with ministers from various countries, including United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong, and Saudi Arabia's Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kasabi.

Additional meetings are planned with Israel's Trade and Investment Minister Nir Barkat, Nigeria's Trade, Industry and Investment Minister Jumoke Oduwole, and Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Luis Iecker Vieira.

These engagements aim to advance strategic economic cooperation and establish mutually beneficial partnerships across different regions, while providing momentum to India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

The minister's schedule includes meetings with European Union officials, specifically Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen.

These interactions reflect India's broader strategy to strengthen both bilateral and multilateral partnerships while positioning itself as a significant player in global trade and investment frameworks.

Following the conclusion of his French engagements, Minister Goyal will continue to Italy for the second phase of his European visit.

(KNN Bureau)