India and Australia continue to negotiate the India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Dan Tehan having detailed discussions on enhancing trade ties between the two countries.
Tehan is in India to advance negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and promote Australia as a premium destination for students and tourists.
On Thursday, Goyal and the Australian minister had several meetings to further negotiate CECA.
"Delighted to further the ongoing negotiations on India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement along with my Australian counterpart @DanTehanWannon in New Delhi. Both sides are working towards a mutually beneficial agreement for both our people & economies," tweeted Goyal.
Later, Goyal addressed the dinner meet in honour of the Australian Trade Minister and mentioned how the both sides are proactively working to expand the economies and strengthen their role in global trade.
Tehan said that he and Goyal had been in regular contact over the Christmas/New Year period as they both are committed to concluding an interim Free Trade Agreement and the two trading partners share a strong desire to further enhance the bilateral trade relationship.
"A free trade agreement with India would be a boon for Australian businesses, farmers and workers, creating new jobs and opportunities with one of the world's largest and fastest developing economies," the minister had said just before leaving for India.
"CECA is a potential game-changer in opening opportunities for both Australia and India. It is also an important piece of our post-Covid economic recovery," he had added.
Both countries are looking to finalise the Early Harvest Agreement, which Goyal said covers "a very wide span of issues" and in some sense covers most areas of interest that both countries have, within the next month.
