Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue in Germany on Friday (24th October), Union Commerce and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal made it clear that India would not be bullied into making trade deals.
“We are in active dialogue with the EU. We are talking to the US, but we do not do deals in a hurry and we do not do deals with deadlines or with a gun to our head,” the Union Minister said.
Goyal said that India has been negotiating trade deals with various countries and regions, including the European Union and the United States. “I do not think India has ever decided who its friends will be based on any considerations other than national interest,” he said. “If somebody tells me that we cannot be friends with the EU, I will not accept that. Similarly, if someone says tomorrow that we cannot work with Kenya, that is also not acceptable,” he added.
Goyal’s remarks come following the recent turbulence in the India-US trade relations after the US imposed 50% punitive tariffs on India as a penalty for buying Russian oil. India, however, has been defending its decision to fulfil its energy requirements from Russia despite immense pressure from several Western countries, particularly the US.
