{"id":11674,"date":"2026-07-14T13:45:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=11674"},"modified":"2026-07-14T13:45:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:45:32","slug":"india-maldives-make-strong-headway-in-first-round-of-free-trade-agreement-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=11674","title":{"rendered":"India, Maldives Make Strong Headway in First Round of Free Trade Agreement Talks."},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><h1>India, Maldives Make Strong Headway in First Round of Free Trade Agreement Talks.<\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>New Delhi:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>India and the Maldives have successfully concluded the first round of negotiations for a proposed India\u2013Maldives Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a significant milestone in efforts to deepen bilateral trade and investment ties. The negotiations, conducted virtually from June 29 to July 7, 2026, witnessed substantial progress across multiple areas, with both countries expressing optimism about reaching a comprehensive trade pact.<\/p>\n<p>The Indian delegation was led by Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce, while the Maldivian side was headed by Chief Negotiator Yusuf Riza. During the week-long discussions, officials from both countries held text-based negotiations across eight technical sessions covering key policy areas. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the two sides made significant progress and achieved broad convergence on several issues, laying a strong foundation for the subsequent rounds of negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>The momentum continued on July 8, when Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Mohamed Saeed, Maldives&#8217; Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade, to review the progress of the FTA negotiations and other bilateral economic initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>The ministerial meeting assumed added significance as India and the Maldives commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations this year. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to fast-track negotiations for not only the Free Trade Agreement but also the proposed Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). The ministers also agreed to strengthen cooperation in sectors such as tourism, startups, digital payments, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and trade, aiming to unlock fresh business opportunities and promote greater economic integration.<\/p>\n<p>India continues to be the second-largest trading partner of the Maldives, with bilateral trade witnessing steady growth in recent years. Official figures show that total trade between the two countries rose to USD 771.76 million in 2025\u201326, up from USD 679.70 million in 2024\u201325, reflecting a 13.54 per cent increase.<\/p>\n<p>Officials believe the proposed FTA will further boost bilateral economic relations by improving market access for businesses, facilitating investments, reducing trade barriers and encouraging sustainable economic growth in both countries. The agreement is also expected to create new opportunities for exporters, investors and entrepreneurs while strengthening supply chains and expanding commercial cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>Both India and the Maldives have reiterated their commitment to negotiating a broad-based, balanced and comprehensive agreement, guided by the principles of fairness, reciprocity and mutual benefit. With the successful completion of the first round of talks, both sides are expected to continue negotiations in the coming months to finalise the agreement at the earliest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India, Maldives Make Strong Headway in First Round of Free Trade Agreement Talks. &nbsp; New Delhi: &nbsp; India and the Maldives have successfully concluded the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" data-url=https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=11674><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india-news","category-latest-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.9.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>India, Maldives Make Strong Headway in First Round of Free Trade Agreement Talks. - The Eagle News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=11674\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"India, Maldives Make Strong Headway in First Round of Free Trade Agreement Talks. - The Eagle News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"India, Maldives Make Strong Headway in First Round of Free Trade Agreement Talks. &nbsp; 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