The European Union (EU) and India completed the fourth round of talks for a comprehensive free trade agreement last week in Brussels. After an eight-year hiatus, both parties resumed negotiations on the proposed agreement on trade, investment, and geographical indications on June 17, last year.

"Round 4 of India EU-FTA negotiations held in Brussels," Nidhi Mani Tripathi, joint secretary of commerce and India's chief negotiator for the agreement, tweeted.

Negotiations for the proposed trade pact with the EU began in 2007, but were halted in 2013 when both parties failed to reach an agreement on key issues.

In fiscal 2021-22, India's merchandise exports to the EU totaled $65 billion, while imports totaled $51.4 billion.

The next round of talks is scheduled for June 12-16 in New Delhi.

The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union comprised of 27 member states primarily located in Europe. The union has a total land area of 4,233,255.3 km2 (1,634,469.0 sq mi) and a population of nearly 447 million people. The EU has been described as a sui generis (without precedent or comparison) political entity that combines the characteristics of both a federation and a confederation.