FTA: Negotiations with U.K. could be delayed to January 2022
The Hindu
Cabinet change in Britain and need for more “pre-negotiation” talks cited as main reasons
Negotiations between India and the U.K. on a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) could be delayed to January 2022, with a Cabinet change in the U.K. and the need for more “pre-negotiation” talks being the main reasons for the talks not taking off in November as expected, officials said.
The two sides have also had to shelve a plan for Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to meet British Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan on the sidelines of the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC 12) due to begin in Geneva on November 30. Early Saturday, the WTO meet was put off indefinitely due to concerns over the spread of the new “Omicron” variant.