 "Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs Helene Budliger Artieda")
India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) were able to clinch the long-pending trade deal days before the election code of conduct kicks in. In an interview with Asit Ranjan Mishra, Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs Helene Budliger Artieda — who led the negotiations from the EFTA side — says both sides respected each other’s sensitivities to conclude the trade deal. Edited excerpts:
Is there a sense of relief and achievement that the deal could be signed just before the election season in India?
We were really racing against the clock.
