India and ASEAN expect to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) in August or October this year, opening the 1.1-trillion USD South-East Asian market for Indian exporters, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
"All the differences have been resolved and the free trade agreement (FTA) would be signed either on the sidelines of ASEAN trade ministers meet in August or at the ASEAN Summit in October," new Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma was quoted by the PTI as saying.
Signing trade-opening agreements with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) are on the 100-day agenda of the new United Progressive Alliance government for restoring high growth to the economy, he said.
Negotiations with the RoK have also been completed.
The Minister said he would take the drafts of the two FTAs to the Cabinet soon for approval.
The FTA negotiations with the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc began in 2001./.