Switzerland and India reach deal on free trade agreement

SWITZERLAND and India have reached consensus on a free trade agreement after 16 years of negotiations, Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin said. 

Parmelin travelled to India directly after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to meet with his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal, according to a post by the Swiss minister on X late last Saturday (Jan 20). The outline of a deal was agreed, and officials are working to finalise the details, he said. 

The agreement “will create jobs for the young population of India, and secure employment in Switzerland”, Parmelin said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Sonntagszeitung.