Discussions between Australia and India on free trade agreement (FTA) are “progressing well” as the fifth round of talks had concluded smoothly in Canberra yesterday.
“We have gone further in our goods negotiations. We have progressed well in our text on our services and investments. I hope in the next round, we will start doing the real give and take of negotiations,” J.K. Daddo, Joint Secretary of Commerce and Industry Ministry, told PTI here.
“It’s been a very cooperative, positive and coordial atmosphere of discussions. Everything went on smoothly,” he added.
“We had four rounds of FTA and the last round was in November 2012. It was Australia’s turn to host the fifth round this time,” he said.
“I have come with a five-member team and we had discussions in Sydney and then two days full-fledged discussions were held in Canberra,” Daddo, who was a guest at the AIBC Victoria Ashoka award ceremony, said.
Daddo said that it would take few more rounds of talks to arrive at a mutually benefiting, equitable and balance agreement.
India has comprehensive FTAs with Japan, Malaysia and South Korea and it is negotiating similar agreements with many countries, including Australia.