Piyush Goyal, UK Commerce Minister Agree On Next Steps For Trade Talks

The UK's Department for International Trade said the talks between Piyush Goyal and Liz Truss focussed on the "scope and ambition" for a UK-India free trade agreement.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal concluded a virtual meeting with his UK counterpart, Liz Truss, on Monday during which they agreed on the next steps to launch negotiations for a UK-India trade agreement, the UK government said. The UK's Department for International Trade (DIT) said the talks between the two ministers focussed on the "scope and ambition" for a UK-India free trade agreement (FTA), following the close of the UK's formal consultation process ahead of the negotiations on August 31. "They discussed the findings from the consultation and agreed on the steps to get ready to launch negotiations later this year -- including the start of a series of trade working groups from September,” notes a DIT readout of Monday's meeting. "They also discussed the newly established Enhanced Trade Partnership, and confirmed their commitment to timely implementation of the market access package," the DIT said.