India, UK conclude 6th round talks on FTA

Discussions
were
held
across
11
policy
areas
in
28
different
sessions.
The
next
round
is
scheduled
to
be
held
early
next
year.

New
Delhi,
Dec
23:
Representatives
of
India
and
the
United
Kingdom
recently
held
the
sixth
round
talks
for
finalising
the
free
trade
agreement
(FTA)
between
the
two
countries.
Discussions
were
held
across
11
policy
areas
in
28
different
sessions.
The
seventh
round
will
be
held
early
next
year,
said
sources.

The
senior
officials
of
both
the
countries
have
agreed
to
conclude
the
talks
at
the
earliest
as
it
is
already
delayed
much
beyond
the
deadline.
The
FTA
is
to
be
signed
between
the
two
counties
to
improve
the
trade
ties
with
mutually
beneficial
agreements,
under
which
a
wide
range
of
goods,
services
and
manpower
are
mutually
exchanged
via
imports
and
export
mechanisms.

The
negotiations
are
happening
after
a
brief
gap
due
to
recent
political
developments
in
the
UK.
The
talks
were
reportedly
derailed
due
to
UK
Home
Minister
Suella
Braverman’s
comments
over
Indians
overstaying
their
visas.
Official
sources
said
that
they
are
not
chasing
a
deadline
as
they
want
to
secure
a
good
deal.
But,
given
the
progress
made,
the
agreement
may
be
finalised
over
four-five
months.

India
and
Britain
launched
negotiations
for
the
FTA
in
January
this
year
with
a
target
to
conclude
it
by
Diwali
(October
24),
but
the
deadline
was
missed
due
to
political
developments
in
the
UK.
The
last
round
of
talks
were
held
on
July
29,
2022.
The
trade
in
passenger
vehicles
is
one
of
the
areas
of
negotiations
between
both
the
countries.

Last
month,
Union
Minister
for
Industry
and
Commerce
Piyush
Goyal
said
this
FTA
will
be
mutually
beneficial
for
both
the
economies.
“Things
are
progressing
in
the
right
track,
it