India, EU expected to make ‘meaningful’ progress on FTA talks in 2025: diplomats

Expect meaningful progress on the India-EU FTA in 2025 as leaders aim to strengthen ties and boost trade relations.

“Meaningful progress” on the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected in 2025, said senior European diplomats in New Delhi, as Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal began his three-day visit to Brussels on Saturday. An EU-India strategic road map is also taking shape, as part of which the EU-India summit will take place at the end of the year, the diplomats added.

Mr. Goyal will have a high-level dialogue with Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner of the European Commission for Trade and Economic Security in Brussels.

“We are hoping to have the EU-India summit this year. It has not happened for some time. This is an important meeting that should bring the two regions, the EU and India, together. And Poland is hoping to facilitate and support the EU delegation and the EU commission in their efforts to bridge the gap and bring the two partners together,” said Sebastian Domzalski, Chargé d’Affaires of Polish Embassy in India. “We also hope to see some progress on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations. This is a hot topic, something that we have been discussing for a long time... So not only the summit, but also meaningful progress on the FTA negotiations [is likely], an effort Poland is committed to supporting during our Presidency.”

Poland, which has been a part of the EU for 21 years, took over the organisation’s Presidency on January 1. At an event to mark the occasion last week, Mr. Domzalski noted that they have assumed the responsibility during a time of uncertainty, with Europe “facing the consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine, growing geopolitical tensions and hybrid threats to democracy and security”.

Recognising this, the Polish Presidency will prioritise strengthening European security, and “in all dimensions”, including external, internal, information, economic, energy, food, and health, he said. “We understand the importance of working closely with our partners across the globe, with India being one of them.”

With a new leadership established in the EU, a renewed mandate for Prime Minister Narendra Modi following last year’s election in India, and his historic visit to Poland, they are poised for even deeper engagement with India, Mr. Domzalski said.

Speaking at the event, Hervé Delphin, Ambassador of the EU delegation in India, said in an environment fraught with challenges, what stands out is that the Union and India are natural partners and stabilising powers in this threat environment. “So indeed, it would be a very rich year. Probably 2025 will be the EU-India year. It has been marked as a priority by the EU. A new strategic agenda with India is being prepared. It will culminate with the EU-India summit,” he observed. He further stated that as the bloc moves forward on the common agenda, all member states are “leaning forward” when it comes to India.