New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, on Sunday commenced his official visit to France and Italy, reflecting India’s continued commitment to deepening strategic and economic ties with key European partners and advancing a shared vision for resilient and inclusive global growth.

During his three-day engagements in France, Union Minister Goyal is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings, including with Eric Lombard, Minister of Economy, and Laurent Saint-Martin, French Trade Minister, according to the Commerce Ministry.

The discussions will focus on strengthening the Indo-French economic partnership and exploring new avenues for enhancing trade and investment cooperation.

As part of the visit, the minister will meet top leadership of major French companies such as Vicat, Total Energies, L’Oreal, Renault, Valeo, EDF and ATR.

According to a ministry statement, the visit will feature the ‘India-France Business Round Table’ and the ‘India-France CEO Forum’, fostering dialogue between leading industry stakeholders from both countries.

Union Minister Goyal will also participate in the informal gathering of WTO Ministers on the margins of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. At this crucial forum, he will engage with global counterparts on key multilateral trade issues and articulate the perspectives and priorities of the country.

At the forum, the Commerce Minister will hold a series of high-level bilateral meetings with key international partners. These include the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds; Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong; and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce, Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kasabi.

He will also engage with Israel’s Minister for Trade and Investment, Nir Barkat; Nigeria’s Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole OON; and Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Luis Iecker Vieira, said the ministry.

“These dialogues are aimed at advancing strategic economic cooperation and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships across regions. They will also provide significant impetus to India-EU FTA negotiations,” the ministry noted.

Following his engagements in France, the Union Minister will proceed to Italy for the next leg of his official visit.

–IANS

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