Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Asheville, US, yesterday.
A Finance Ministry statement said the two sides discussed further deepening of the India-EU Economic and Financial Partnership, including through the India-EU macroeconomic dialogue and the Trade and Technology Council. Ms. Sitharaman and Dombrovskis also discussed ongoing India-EU Free Trade Agreement and Investment Protection Agreement negotiations.
The two sides exchanged views on strengthening resilient and diversified supply chains, including cooperation on critical raw materials and technologies. The two leaders also sought to explore opportunities for greater cooperation in FinTech, AI and generative AI, including fostering greater engagement between Indian and European start-ups.
Earlier, Ms. Sitharaman also met South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol in Asheville on Monday. The two ministers discussed strengthening bilateral economic and financial cooperation, including taking forward the India-Korea Finance Ministers’ Meeting through early working-level consultations. The two ministers also discussed ongoing efforts towards interoperability of India and Korea’s QR-based payment systems, which would facilitate greater ease of payments and strengthen economic and people-to-people linkages between the two countries.
