INDIA TO EXPEDITE CECA WITH AUSTRALIA

Commerce Secretary, co-chaired the first Joint Committee Meeting along with his Australian counterpart in Canberra and reviewed the progress of India-Australia CECA.

- NIVEDITA MUKHERJEE

India and Australia are working to fast-track negotiations on the In dia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with both sides guiding both the chief negotiators to expedite the process towards a comprehensive and balanced agreement between the two trading powers. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, cochaired the first Joint Committee Meeting along with his Australian counterpart George Mina in Canberra and reviewed the implementation of India-Australia ECTA and reviewed the progress of India-Australia CECA. The rules of procedure for the JCM was jointly approved, adopted and nine priority areas of work were identified under ECTA for which a pathway and timeline was decided by the JCM.

The delegation led by Sunil Barthwal also participated in a number of constructive and outcome-oriented meetings with Indian and Australian business leaders around ways to deepen the bilateral economic partnership and aspirations for the CECA based on their perspective on deepening trade and investment relationships. Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce and Chief Negotiator India-Australia CECA had a detailed meeting with his Australian counterpart wherein all outstanding issues were discussed and the roadmap for future negotiations was firmed up.