Post-Soviet bloc seeking free trade deal with India – official
The first round of negotiations between the EAEU and New Delhi have concluded, the group’s energy minister has told RT
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is looking to sign a free trade agreement with India, a top official has said.
The union, which has signed trade deals with eight countries, is keen on an agreement with India, EAEU Energy Minister Arzybek Kozhoshev told RT India on the sidelines of the India Energy Week in Goa on Tuesday.
“We have already held the first round of negotiations with India this year,” he said.
Kozhoshev added that all EAEU countries work with India on a bilateral basis. He cited the example of Moscow and New Delhi cooperating in petroleum products. India is one of the largest refiners of Russian crude, which it reexports to Europe and other markets.
“It is very interesting for us to see how countries are working to implement energy security policies and public access to energy,” Kozhoshev said.
India has been negotiating an FTA with the EAEU, which includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan, since August 2025. The FTA would allow India greater market access to Russia and other countries in the former Soviet Union, with reduced tariffs and simplified legal and customs processes, supporting medium-scale enterprises and farmers.
India and the EU finalized a trade agreement on Tuesday to enhance cooperation between the South Asian nation and the European bloc.