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Sitharaman hails India EU Summit momentum as FTA and security pacts move toward signing
International
Published on 14 May 2026
FTA talks finish, but investment terms may still shift
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says the 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi in January delivered decisive momentum to the strategic partnership, taking ties to a higher level. She pointed to the successful conclusion of negotiations for the India-EU free trade agreement, alongside the signing of a Security and Defence Partnership and adoption of a mobility cooperation framework. The EU ambassador urged an investment liberalisation chapter and a separate investment protection pact, as legal review of the roughly 1,000-page FTA is set to end in July.
- Sitharaman credited the 16th India-EU Summit for raising ties to a new level
- FTA negotiations concluded on 27 January, dubbed the “mother of all deals”
- A Security and Defence Partnership was signed, with a mobility cooperation framework adopted
- EU urges adding an investment liberalisation chapter and finalising an investment protection pact
- FTA legal vetting for the ~1,000-page text is expected to finish in July
- EU duties may fall on over 99% of Indian goods, while India expands access for ~97% of EU exports
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times