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Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has said that India will completely protect the interests of farmers and dairy sector in the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union. He said that Italy and France have offered unstinted support for the early conclusion of negotiations for the India-EU trade agreement.

He stated the kind of business opportunities which India provides for EU businesses are huge and nobody can provide those in the world. Chief negotiators of India and the European Union (EU) are scheduled to meet from June 19-23 in New Delhi for the fifth round of negotiations.

India had started negotiations for a trade pact with the EU in 2007 but the talks stalled in 2013 as both sides failed to reach an agreement on key issues, including customs duties on automobiles and spirits and the movement of professionals. India’s merchandise exports to EU member countries stood at about $65 billion in 2021-22, while imports aggregated $51.4 billion.