India and the United Kingdom have affirmed their shared commitment towards Free Trade Agreement between both the countries. The two sides will engage into early harvest schemes or limited trade agreements in a staged manner marking preparatory steps towards the free trade agreement.
The declaration was announced during the 14th Joint Economic and Trade Committee meeting which was held virtually yesterday. Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Ms Elizabeth Truss co-chaired the meeting. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Hardeep Singh Puri and his UK counterpart, Minister of State for International Trade, Mr Ranil Jayawardena were also present during the meet.
It was decided in the meeting that a deliberation led by Mr Goyal and Ms Truss will be held in Autumn 2020 in New Delhi to carry forward the dialogue.
Mr Puri and Mr Jayawardena will have monthly meetings to intensify the dialogue. Both sides also resolved to cooperate in the health sector especially in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
