India discusses trade expansion with EU, Russia, other nations on sidelines of WTO

The 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has kicked off in Cameroon, where it is slated from 26th to 29th March 2026. While pending multilateral issues are expected to be discussed between the member countries, India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal met several representatives from India’s FTA partner countries as well as from the nations India is negotiating new trade pacts with. The Indian delegation met a delegation of EU’s parliamentarians led by Bernd Lange, the Chair of EU-INTA delegation on the sidelines of WTO MC-14. Commerce Secretary met the European Commission’s DG Trade Sabine Weyand to exchange of views on the MC-14 agenda and review progress on the work underway towards the signing of the recently concluded India-EU FTA. The Department of Commerce said that a “productive discussion” was held on WTO matters including Reforms, along with a way forward on the India-EU FTA following its recent conclusion, and ways to further deepen bilateral trade partnership. The India-EU FTA is expected to come into force later this year.Among the countries India is looking to increase trade with, Commerce Secretary met representatives from Russia, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Nepal on the sidelines. He met Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the WTO Nikolai Platonov to discuss bilateral issues and WTO reforms and the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Peru César Augusto Llona Silva to discuss the WTO agenda and progress in the India-Peru FTA negotiations.He discussed challenges faced by businesses with Mexico’s Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez to explore a forward-looking roadmap for an early resolution to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties. He discussed ongoing AITIGA negotiations and related market access issues with Allan B. Gepty, the Undersecretary for International Trade Group at the Department of Trade and Industry of Philippines, along with issues like WTO reforms and promotion of bilateral trade under the India-Philippines PTA.Also read: India urges WTO to reconsider moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissionsHis meeting with Vangelis Vitalis, Deputy Secretary (Trade and Economic), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand focused on the progress of work underway towards the signing of the recently concluded India-New Zealand FTA. He also met Fareed bin Saeed Al-Asaly, the Deputy Governor for International Organisations and agreements of Saudi Arabia and Ram Prasad Subedi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, WTO and other International Organisations in Geneva, to discuss the ongoing challenges to global trade, MC-14 agenda and ways to deepen bilateral economic ties.(Edited by : Srabastee Biswas)

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