Exclude farming from EU-India trade deal, German minister says in New Delhi

New Delhi: German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Friday said agriculture should be excluded from a free trade deal between the European Union and India in order to speed up negotiations for an agreement.

Habeck is in India with a high-level German government delegation. The EU and India have tried to secure a deal for years on free trade but without success. Habeck on Thursday had called farming the most problematic sector to deal with and suggested focusing on industry first.

India's trade ministry earlier said a free trade deal cannot be agreed upon if there is an insistence on getting access to the Asian country's dairy sector.