Goyal asked for an early review of the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), as the trade pact is hurting India’s interest, particularly because of the violation of rules of origin clauses. Goyal used the Asean ministerial forum to reiterate India’s consistent position that the review of the FTA has been inordinately delayed. A report of the Asean India Business Council (AIBC) was also presented in the meeting. The meeting was attended by the trade ministers of all the 10 Asean countries such as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It proposed the introduction of a business travel card which would facilitate business travel between India and Asean countries with a minimum 90-day validity.

Source: Hindustan Times August 30, 2020 08:39 UTC