‘Both sides have done their best to reduce differences’: India, EU urge officials to speed up FTA negotiations; This is what the Commerce Ministry said – The Times of India

India and the European Union have asked their officials to resolve outstanding issues and expedite negotiations to finalize the proposed free trade agreement, PTI reported in an official statement issued on Saturday.Minister of Trade and Industry Piyush Goyal and EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic met in Brussels to review the status of the talks and progress on the negotiation tracks. Goyal’s two-day official visit to Brussels ended on January 9.

“Both leaders led negotiating teams to resolve outstanding issues and expedite the agreement,” the Commerce Department said.The discussions focused on assessing progress made in key areas of the negotiations, including market access for goods, rules of origin and services, the statement said.The ministerial engagement followed high-level consultations between Trade Minister Rajesh Agrawal and European Commission Director-General for Trade Sabine Weyand, which took place on 6 and 7 January 2026.According to the statement, officials from both sides have been working to “reduce differences” and bring greater clarity to outstanding issues, paving the way for dialogue at the ministerial level.“The discussions at ministerial level reaffirmed the strong political determination on both sides to address outstanding issues through constructive engagement,” the report said.The deliberations assume significance as India and the European Union seek to conclude negotiations at the earliest, the statement said.