India, EU to begin 10th round of free trade agreement negotiations in Brussels

India and the 27-nation European Union (EU) will start the tenth round of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement in Brussels today. The talks are expected to focus on resolving remaining issues so that the agreement can be finalised by the end of this year. During the recent visit of EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, the two sides have discussed ways to accelerate efforts towards a balanced and mutually beneficial trade pact. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month agreed to conclude the ambitious India-EU free trade deal by this year amid fears of the Trump administration’s threat of higher tariffs. In June 2022, India and the 27-nation EU bloc resumed the negotiations after a gap of over eight years.