'India, Canada to skip sensitive areas in trade pact talks': Piyush Goyal

New Delhi: India and Canada have decided to focus on low-hanging fruit, work on areas of convergence and avoid seeking concessions in sensitive sectors in the negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has said. The two countries are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The third round of negotiations is underway in Ottawa. The minister was in Canada for a three-day official visit.

"I remember when I was talking to Mr Maninder Sidhu (Canada's trade minister) about speeding up CEPA negotiations, one of the first elementary decisions we both took was that 'we won't make perfect the enemy of the good'.

"Let's capture the low-hanging fruit. Let's look at areas of convergence. Let's leave the sensitive things out of the agreement. If something is sensitive for Canada, no sense in trying to egg on and trying to get that into the CEPA.

"Likewise, if something is sensitive for India or the Indian public or Indian businesses, no sense that we break our heads trying to navigate that path," he said. while addressing the Ontario Centre of Innovation on May 27.

Under such pacts, India does not grant market access in areas such as agri-commodities and dairy. Both sides are looking at concluding the negotiations for the proposed pact by year-end. The two countries have also set a target to increase bilateral trade from the current $17 billion to $50 billion by 2030. Agencies
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