Interfax | 28 November 2025
Eurasian Economic Union, India hold first round of negotiations on free trade zone
The countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and India held the first round of negotiations on a free trade agreement this week in New Delhi, the press service of Russia's Economic Development Ministry said.
The future agreement envisages resolving issues related to customs administration, as well as applying sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical regulations in addition to tariff liberalization, the ministry said.
During the negotiations, the parties also addressed competition, intellectual property protection, e-commerce, and the further development of cooperation in various economic sectors.
"Russia is interested in expanding trade and economic cooperation with India. It is the world's largest country by population and our third-largest trading partner. The agreement should provide preferential access for Russian economic operators to a market with 1.5 billion people, and the elimination of prohibitive tariffs on the Indian market, which can exceed 100%, and should facilitate the diversification of Russian exports," Deputy Economic Development Minister Vladimir Ilychev said in the statement.
The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council decided on December 26, 2016, to begin negotiations with India on a free trade agreement. In August 2025, the Eurasian Economic Commission reported on a meeting of the heads of the negotiating groups for the free trade agreement with India, and the terms of reference for the negotiations on the agreement were approved.
