India and Australia in talks to boost economic ties; 11th round of talks set for Nov

India and Australia held ‘intensive discussions’ on a wide range of issues, including goods, services and digital trade, and underscored the commitment to strengthen and enhance economic partnership during the 10th round of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) negotiations between the two sides, an official statement said on Sunday.

The talks were held from August 19 to 22 in Sydney. The negotiations also focused on areas such as government procurement, rules of origin and agri-tech.

The two sides also reviewed the bilateral trade and investment relations and underscored commitment to strengthen and enhance the economic partnership between India and Australia.

“Both sides made efforts to ensure that the CECA negotiation delivers meaningful benefits and balanced outcomes for both sides,” it said.

This was the first round of talks since the conclusion of the general elections in New Delhi in June.

The 10th round of negotiations were held after a gap of around five months from the previous round. However, intersessional meetings were held between these two rounds to bring in convergence on key issues.