India, Australia assess progress in FTA talks, eye early agreement

Senior officials of India and Australia have reviewed the progress of talks on the proposed free trade agreement between the two countries, the commerce ministry said on Monday.

The two countries had implemented an interim trade pact in December 2022 and now they are negotiating to widen the scope of the pact for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

"The three-day stocktake visit for the India-Australia CECA concluded in New Delhi on December 6," the ministry said.

The stocktake discussions covered several critical areas of the agreement, including trade in goods, services, mobility, agri-tech cooperation, and more.

"The discussions also centered on market access modalities that align with India's food security objectives," it said.

Both parties evaluated the progress made so far and outlined a path forward for the early conclusion of the CECA.

The Indian delegation was headed by Additional Secretary and Chief Negotiator, Department of Commerce, Rajesh Agrawal, and the Australian delegation was headed by First Assistant Secretary and Chief Negotiator, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ravi Kewalram.