No decision on resumption of talks on India-EU FTA: Ney

He also rued EU leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi not taking a decision on it at the recent India-EU Summit.

Launched in June 2007, negotiations for the proposed India-EU Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) have witnessed many hurdles due to major differences on crucial issues like intellectual property rights, and duty cut in automobile and spirits.

"There is no decision to resume negotiations on a free trade agreement, including investment protection, despite the possibility at hand.

"There was no such decision taken at the last EU-India Summit in March 2016. And the EU leaders and PM Modi, did neither take such a decision during the summit (this year) two days ago," Ney said.

He was addressing a gathering at the Indo-German Media Dialogue, jointly organised by the DW Akademie and the German Embassy here, at its premises.

The 14th India-EU Summit was held in New Delhi on October 6, during which the two sides had held extensive deliberations on bilateral, regional and international issues, including the Rohingya crisis and volatile situation in the Korean peninsula.

However, there was no major headway on the much-delayed free trade pact at Modi's meeting with the European Council President Donald Franciszek Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

The German envoy, in his speech also pitched for further strengthening the Indo-EU cooperation.

India and the EU have been strategic partners since 2004.

The 13th India-EU Summit was held in Brussels on March 30 last year during Modi's visit.

The last year's summit meeting had also failed to make any headway on the resumption of long stalled negotiations for a free trade agreement.

Senior journalists from leading media houses of both India and Germany participated in the three sessions held on themes such as globalisation and renationalism; impact of the recently-held elections in Germany; and fake news.