The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and India have launched trade agreement negotiations, marking a new phase in the strategic partnership.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi stressed that the launch of the negotiations will strengthen economic and commercial ties between the two sides.

The remarks were made during the signing ceremony of the joint statement on launching the free trade agreement negotiations. The ceremony was attended by Albudaiwi and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Albudaiwi noted that the terms of reference signed on February 5, 2026, provide a clear and comprehensive framework for the negotiations. He said the agreement will cover trade in goods, customs procedures, trade in services, and digital trade. It will also address sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), intellectual property rights, and cooperation on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), in addition to other areas of mutual interest. He emphasized that the comprehensive scope aligns with the demands of the future economy.

The GCC secretary-general hoped that the negotiations will lead to a comprehensive agreement. 

He said the agreement aims to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers, enhance the flow of quality investments in both directions, and facilitate greater liberalisation in trade and investment cooperation. He added that it seeks to create a stimulating economic and investment environment, expand opportunities for the business sector, support supply chains, and accelerate economic growth in line with the GCC states’ development visions. 

He affirmed the secretariat’s readiness to host the first round of negotiations at its headquarters in Riyadh during the second half of this year.