Piyush Goyal calls India-EU FTA historic, says 'sour grapes' on Congress's comments:Said Congress had started discussions in 2006 but could not finalise it

News Topical, Digital Desk : Union Minister Piyush Goyal has given a befitting reply to Congress' sharp comments on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) and said, "The grapes are sour."

He used the phrase to counter Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's comments on X, in which he claimed that the FTA was being hyped. Ramesh had raised concerns about issues such as the trade deficit, automobiles, intellectual property, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Goyal strongly refuted Jairam's claims.

Commerce Minister Goyal strongly refuted Jairam's claims, saying it was a tale of sour grapes. Those who failed to make decisions while in power are now claiming inaction as their strength.

He said the party (Congress) initiated discussions on this in 2006 but could not finalize the agreement. Congress should answer this, asking how they could even consider an FTA with China, putting India's interests at risk.

Speaking to ANI, Goyal said, "It's like sour grapes. Discussions began in 2006, were launched in 2007, and were abandoned in 2013. They had neither the courage nor the will to finalize the agreement. The UPA and Congress governments never took decisive action due to fear, and Jairam Ramesh is considered anti-development. As an environment minister, he stalled the country's development journey."

Ongoing talks with many countries including America

The Commerce Minister said that India is now preparing to move forward on the path of FTAs with some other countries, including the United States. He said, "Very productive discussions are underway with many countries. I can assure you that India will open new markets while protecting our interests. We will continue to enter into new agreements to provide more opportunities to our exporters. We will protect the interests of farmers, fishermen, livestock farmers, and small industries."

Goyal said, "We are in the final stages of negotiations with Chile, and we are also in talks with Canada and the United States. We will also soon begin negotiations with the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries." Goyal praised the India-EU trade agreement, calling it a historic agreement.