Trade ministers of India and Australia have agreed to intensify trade talks aimed at reaching an interim ‘early harvest’ agreement by December to liberalize bilateral flows of goods and services.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Australia’s Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan Tehan on Thursday to discuss the road map for concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), starting virtually with the Early Harvest Agreement.
The meeting is taking place within three weeks of the visit to New Delhi by Tony Abbott, Special Envoy of the Australian Prime Minister to India. Australia sees India as a long-lasting, valuable and reliable partner, Mr Abbott insisted in his meetings with Indian ministers, indicating an accelerated approach from Canberra to the CECA talks Was.
The ministers said in a joint statement that three rounds of talks have already taken place between the chief trade negotiators of the two sides.
‘The way to CECA’
“The ministers noted that the negotiations took into account the views of trade, industry and other stakeholders, and decided to initiate consultations on the potential opportunities and implications of an interim agreement as a path to a full CECA,” he said. took.”
“Ministers look forward to a balanced trade agreement that encourages expanded trade and investment flows to the benefit of both our economies and our peoples,” the ministers said.
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