EU, India say 'good progress' made towards trade deal

The EU and India's trade chiefs said Friday after talks that they were getting closer to a trade deal between the 27-nation bloc and the world's most populous nation.

Brussels is pressing to seal an agreement with New Delhi as US President Donald Trump has rocked the global order.

EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the two sides were getting nearer after an "intense two-day marathon of talks" with Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in Brussels.

"Our shared goal: a balanced, mutually beneficial trade and investment agreement to boost relations," Sefcovic wrote on X.

"Good progress made. Open issues narrowing. Full steam ahead in the coming days," he added.

Goyal echoed the upbeat assessment.

"We made good progress and provided strategic guidance to our negotiating teams and reaffirmed our strong political resolve to deliver a fair, balanced, and ambitious agreement," he wrote.

The leaders of the EU and India are expected to hold a summit at the end of January and the two sides have been pushing to wrap up negotiations for that event.

The talks with India came as the EU on Friday gave a long-delayed go ahead Friday to a huge trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur championed by Brussels as key to boosting the bloc's global standing.