Germany Wants EU-India Trade Deal Concluded by Fall This Year

Johann Wadephul and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi, on Sept. 3.Photographer: Soeren Stache/dpa/Getty Images

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he’s hopeful a long-stalled free-trade accord between the European Union and India can be concluded as soon as the autumn of this year.

The EU launched formal negotiations on a deal with the government in New Delhi nearly 20 years ago but progress has been hampered by entrenched differences in areas like agriculture and market access.