India EU summit in first half of 2016: EU
New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) India and the European Union will
hold their long-pending summit in the first half of next year
and resume negotiations on a free trade agreement, in efforts
to bring back the relationship back on track.
Newly-appointed ambassador of European Union Tomasz
Kozlowski said the issue of European Union restricting sale of
around 700 generic drugs clinically tested by India's GVK
Biosciences does not stand any more and both are now set to
open a "new page" in their ties. FTA talks between the two
sides will be held in January.
"The summit meeting will be held in first half of 2016.
We are now working on mutually convenient dates for the
summit," he told reporters while describing India an engine of
growth of the global economy.
The last India-EU Summit had taken place in 2012. The
India-EU ties witnessed some strain after the 28-member bloc
had not responded to New Delhi's proposal for a brief visit by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Brussels, the EU headquarters
during his trip to France, Germany and Canada in April.
The summit is slated to be held in Brussels.
Kozlowski said both sides will resume talks on the
proposed free trade agreement next month. The talks, launched
in June 2007, remain stuck as both sides are not satisfied
with each other's offers.
"We are now set open a new page in our ties," he said
adding the two sides were also finalising a pact to facilitate
better movement of people from India to EU and vice versa.
After a gap of about two years, Chief negotiators of
India and the European Union were expected to resume
negotiations on August 28 here but India had deferred the
talks after EU imposed a ban on around 700 pharma products,
which were clinically tested by GVK Biosciences.
The envoy said EU never banned Indian drugs and the issue
was of testing and certification. Now, he, said both Indian
exporters and European importers have managed certification
for the drugs from other agencies and it was no more an issue.
Sources said the "stock taking" FTA talks will be held
here on January 18.
Asked about Italian fishermen issue, Kozlowski said it
remained a matter of concern for EU and hoped it will be
resolved as soon as possible as per "international law".
In this context, he said an international court has said
the legal proceedings should not be carried forward till it
decides on the matter.
Asked whether Indian court's decision to restrict plying
of diesel vehicles will impact European auto industry which
has a huge market in India, he welcomed the
environment-friendly move and said the companies must follow
them.