India, EU to meet in Dec on proposed trade, investment ties

New Delhi, Nov 1 (UNI) The high-level group on trade, co-chaired by the commerce secretaries of India and the European Union would meet sometime in December for preliminary talks on the proposed Agreement on Trade and Investment, preceding the expected launch of the negotiations in March 2007.

This was indicated during a discussion Commerce Minister Kamal Nath had with a five-member delegation from the European Parliament Friends of India (EPFIN) Group here last evening.

The delegation was led by Dr Charles Tannock and Mr Jo Leinen, Co-Presidents of the Group, The visit of the delegation takes place barely two weeks after the successful 7th India-EU Summit at Helsinki, which agreed to launch negotiations for a broad-based agreement on trade and investment between India and the EU.

The visit also comes only a month after the visit of the President of the European Parliament to India.

Welcoming the delegation, Mr Kamal Nath appreciated the constructive role the Friends of India Group played in the European Parliament on issues of importance to India and said he looked forward to its suggestions on what more could be done to intensify India-EU interactions.

''India and the EU have much to contribute towards fostering a rule-based international order, be it through the United Nations or the WTO. Both also have much in common on many of the challenges that face us today-- globalisation, terrorism, energy security and environment,'' he said.

UNI YJ PV HT1625