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India and Russia to hold talks on an India-EAEU free trade agreement

· 5 min read·Source: Livemint
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Indian officials are set to visit Russia for talks on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), according to the source. The discussions will focus on easing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and reducing technical barriers to trade, which are among the key non-tariff hurdles in bilateral commerce. The EAEU is a five-member economic bloc comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, set up in 2015 to promote economic integration through a common market with free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. A trade pact with the bloc would give Indian exporters preferential access to these markets and deepen India's economic engagement with the Eurasian region, complementing India's broader strategy of negotiating trade agreements with multiple partners.

Key Facts & Details

8 points
  • 1
    Indian officials will visit Russia for talks on an India-EAEU free trade agreement.
  • 2
    Negotiations will focus on easing sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade.
  • 3
    The EAEU is a five-member bloc: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.
  • 4
    The EAEU was established in 2015 to promote economic integration through a common market.
  • 5
    An FTA would give Indian exporters preferential access to the Eurasian markets.

Deep Dive

  • +
    The EAEU enables free movement of goods, services, capital and labour among its members.
  • +
    Sanitary and phytosanitary measures relate to food safety and animal and plant health standards.
  • +
    The talks fit India's broader push to expand its network of trade agreements.
Q

Exam Focus

Which countries are the five members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) that India is negotiating an FTA with?

Related Topics

EAEUFree Trade AgreementIndia-RussiaTrade

Exam Relevance & Angle

Trade agreements and regional economic blocs are core international-relations and economy topics for banking, SSC and UPSC exams, and the membership, founding year and purpose of the EAEU are precisely the static-linked facts examiners test alongside current FTA developments.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POIBPS RRB OfficerRBI Grade BNABARD Grade ASSC CGLLIC AAONIACL AOUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is a regional economic bloc that came into effect in 2015, comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, with its headquarters and key institutions based in Moscow and other member capitals. It functions as a common market that provides for the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour, and operates a customs union with a common external tariff among its members. A free trade agreement is a pact between countries or blocs to reduce or eliminate tariffs and other barriers on goods and services traded between them. For India, an FTA with the EAEU is attractive because it would open preferential access to a large, resource-rich market and reduce non-tariff barriers such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures, which set food-safety and plant-and-animal-health standards, and technical barriers to trade, which cover product standards and certification requirements. The talks are part of India's wider effort to diversify and deepen its trade partnerships.

Related GK Concepts

Must Know
Eurasian Economic UnionFree trade agreementSanitary and phytosanitary measuresCustoms unionNon-tariff barriers

Test Yourself

1 / 2

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), with which India is negotiating an FTA, does NOT include which country?

Source

Livemint

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India and Russia to hold talks on an India-EAEU free trade agreement — Current Affairs 2026-06-07