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Romania's Ambassador Hails Historic India-EU FTA as "Mother of All Deals"

The Ambassador of Romania to India, Sena Latif, has described the concluded Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union as a historic "mother of all deals." The agreement, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EU leaders, culminates 18 years of negotiations and creates a common market for two billion consumers. Bilateral trade in goods between India and the EU stood at approximately USD 136 billion in the 2024-25 period. The integration of these two major economies is expected to unlock significant new trade and investment opportunities across sectors.

Key Points: India-EU Free Trade Agreement Hailed as Historic Deal

  • Concludes 18 years of negotiations
  • Connects 2 billion consumers
  • Announced by Modi and EU leaders
  • Bilateral trade over USD 136 billion
  • Expected to boost pharma and investment
3 min read

"Mother of all deals": Romanian Ambassador hails India-EU FTA

Romanian Ambassador Sena Latif calls the concluded India-EU FTA a historic "mother of all deals," connecting 2 billion consumers.

"It's a historical deal... They call it the mother of all deals. - Sena Latif"

By Palash Srivastava, New Delhi, January 29

Sena Latif, Ambassador of Romania to India, hailed the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, describing it as a "mother of all deals".

Speaking to ANI, Ambassador of Romania described the recent Free Trade Agreement between India and European Union as "historic", saying that it creates a common market which connects two billion consumers from around the world.

"It's a historical deal (India-EU FTA) that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced. It will be signed very soon, but the negotiations are concluded. It was a very difficult, long process of 18 years of negotiations for the free trade agreement between the EU and India. They call it the mother of all deals, because we know about how many free trade deals we're talking about these days," said Sena Latif, the Ambassador of Romania.

She continued, "But this is the most important one, bringing together 2 billion consumers, a quarter of the world, a third of the world's market. It's two huge partners that are bringing together their forces to have a common market, which is beneficial for all of us, and definitely for Romania and India as well."

The India-EU FTA was jointly announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa at the 16th India-EU Summit, held during the visit of European leaders to India.

The documents related to the conclusion of the FTA were exchanged between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. The announcement marks a historic milestone in India-EU economic relations and trade engagement with key global partners.

The FTA comes after intense negotiations following the re-launch of talks in 2022 and represents the culmination of years of sustained dialogue and cooperation between India and the EU. The agreement reflects the political will and shared vision of both sides to deliver a balanced, modern, and rules-based economic and trade partnership.

The European Union is one of India's largest trading partners, with bilateral trade in goods and services witnessing steady growth over the years.In 2024-25, India's bilateral trade in goods with the EU stood at Rs 11.5 lakh crore (USD 136.54 billion), with exports valued at Rs 6.4 lakh crore (USD 75.85 billion) and imports at Rs 5.1 lakh crore (USD 60.68 billion). India-EU trade in services reached Rs 7.2 lakh crore (USD 83.10 billion) in 2024.

The integration of these two large, diverse, and complementary economies is expected to create unprecedented trade and investment opportunities, including in the pharmaceutical sector.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Hoping this FTA brings down the cost of imported electronics and machinery for our small business. The "mother of all deals" should benefit the common man too, not just big corporations. Let's see how it impacts prices on the ground.
R
Rohit P
Great strategic move. In today's geopolitical climate, strengthening ties with the EU is crucial. This diversifies our partnerships and reduces over-reliance on any single bloc. A win for 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' if implemented well.
S
Sarah B
As someone working in the pharmaceutical sector, the mention of opportunities here is very promising. If this agreement eases regulatory hurdles for Indian generic medicines in Europe, it could be a massive boost for healthcare access globally.
K
Karthik V
With respect, I hope the fine print protects our farmers and sensitive sectors. We've seen FTAs elsewhere sometimes hurt local industries. The government must ensure a truly balanced deal that doesn't just flood our market with foreign goods.
M
Michael C
The scale is mind-boggling. A quarter of the world's population and a third of the market. This is the kind of economic diplomacy that defines a nation's rise on the global stage. Kudos to the negotiators who stuck with it for nearly two decades.
N
Neha E

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