New Delhi, Nov 26: The European Union today said there would not be any dialogue with India on WTO issues when their political heads meet at the India-EU summit this weekend, even though trade issues will figure in the summit. "Talks on WTO issue are unlikely to take place during the summit," Italian ambassador Benedetto Amari told reporters at a briefing on the fourth India-EU business summit.
He said that while EU was fully committed to multilateral trading system, the summit beginning here on Friday would focus on business interaction.
Amari said India was among the few countries with which the EU was very keen to strengthen its relationship.
"India is an emerging economic power...We want to strengthen our relationship especially in the prevailing climate," he said.
However, the EU trade councellor Stephano Gatto said there was no possibility of a free trade agreement with India in the near future.
"A FTA with India is still very far," he said, adding EU believed in strengthening multilateral trading system and bilateral trade agreements would only be complementary.
A high-level business delegation consisting of 100 leading EU industry representatives and chief executive officers will accompany Italian prime minister and European Council president Silvio Berlusconi at the summit.
Ficci secretary general Amit Mitra said the summit would emphasise on harmonising quality standards in the food processing sector on both sides.
Bureau Report