Overview
- Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal met EEC trade minister Andrey Slepnev and Russia’s deputy minister Mikhail Yurin in Moscow to review next steps on the goods track.
- The August 20 Terms of Reference set an 18‑month roadmap for negotiations on goods, with services and investment chapters to be examined later.
- Both sides agreed on regulator‑to‑regulator engagement every quarter to address certification, agricultural and marine listings, monopolistic practices and other non‑tariff issues.
- Talks mapped time‑bound pathways in sectors including pharmaceuticals, telecom equipment, machinery, leather, automobiles and chemicals, with cooperation on critical minerals explored.
- At an industry plenary, Agrawal urged firms to align projects with the $100 billion bilateral trade goal for 2030 and highlighted logistics upgrades, digital public infrastructure and co‑investment opportunities.