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New Delhi: India on Thursday told European Union that it would not like to discuss non-trade issues such as human rights or child labour while negotiating the free trade agreement (FTA) involving duty-free trade of goods services and liberalised investment norms. Both the sides also narrowed their differences on two trade disputes involving wines and spirits as well as generic drugs.
Commerce minister Anand Sharma met European Union trade commissioner Catherine Ashton and Swedish trade minister Eva Bjorling, to discuss bilateral trade issues.
“We are clear that these are extraneous issues. We have strong legislations on issues like child labour. Inclusion of these issues will be counter-productive,” Sharma said.
Sharma also told his EU counterpart that India would like to stick to the negotiating architecture seen under the general agreement on trade in services framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). “We said that there is no need to have a new process for negotiations,” Sharma added.
Ashton reaffirmed that the FTA between India and EU has to be ambitious. “Our negotiators will meet again in a few weeks,” she said.
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