The Hindu : Business : India-Malaysia trade talks in January

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Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007
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India-Malaysia trade talks in January

Staff Reporter

— PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

FORGING TIES: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath (right) with Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands, Frank Heemskerk, prior to the Indo-Dutch bilateral meeting on trade and investment in New Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: India is likely to begin negotiations with Malaysia in January next year for signing a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said here on Monday.

Inaugurating a seminar on “Malaysia-India business opportunities,” organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr. Kamal Nath said: “I am confident that this agreement would take our bilateral relations to newer heights and contribute to the overall growth of our economies.”

Dutch delegation

Speaking on the occasion, Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz emphasised the need for providing the business communities of the two countries with an update of trade and investment opportunities. India and the Netherlands on Monday hoped that the Indo-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would be signed soon.

“The third round of talks on the India-EU FTA would be held next month in Brussels. While common areas have been identified for the FTA, discussions have been held in areas of intellectual property rights, geographical indications, dispute settlement and competition policy,” Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said after his talks with the visiting Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank Heemskerk.

“The visiting Dutch delegation have identified biotechnology, agro-industry, pharma, infrastructure and logistics, research and design as focus areas,” he added.

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