The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : France hopeful of FTA by 2010

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Friday, Oct 30, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

France hopeful of FTA by 2010

Staff Reporter

— PHOTO: P.V. SIVAKUMAR

Warm welcome: French Minister for Foreign Trade Anne-Marie Idrac with Major Industries Minister Kanna Laxminarayana on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: Minister for Foreign Trade of France Anne-Marie Idrac has hoped that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India would come through by October next.

She expressed this hope while interacting with media persons here on Thursday evening after business discussions between French and Indian delegations and announcement of a joint venture of Limagrain and Avesthagen. The volume of foreign trade between India and France was about 7 billion euros per annum now and it was likely to touch 12 b euros by 2012, she stated.

Minister for Major Industries Kanna Laxminarayana, led the State delegation. Earlier in the day, a 12-member delegation led by the French Trade Minister called on Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and interacted with him. The Chief Minister urged them to explore possibilities to set up food processing and agro-based industries in the State to help farming community.

He asked the team to take up the issue of setting up an automotive project by PSA Peugeot Citroen Company mentioning that technical teams of the company had already visited Hyderabad and recommended the destination. He also handed over a letter offering allotment of office space on lease for setting up French Cultural Centre in APIIC complex here.

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