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India and the 10-nation trading bloc ASEAN are likely to resume their talks soon to widen the scope of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between two sides by opening trade in services, after opening up of merchandise trade.

After a free trade agreement (FTA) in goods, India now hopes to ink an FTA with the 10-member ASEAN bloc for services and investments by this year-end to broaden its trade basket.

India and the 10-nation trading bloc Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet next month to speed up the ongoing talks for opening trade in services, an area of immense interest for Indian professionals.

Talking about the Indian government's move to impose a countervailing duty of 12.5 per cent on gold imports from the ASEAN countries, Taufik Rigo, 1st Secretary-Economics

In order to review the progress in RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and to iron out the issues that are holding back the negotiations, trade ministers of 16 nations, including India, Japan and China, will be meeting early next month.

The aim of the SEZ is to help expand India's footprints in South East Asia amid China plans for massive road and port connectivity projects in the region as part of its One Belt One Road initiative. India's plan for SEZ was explained by MoS External Affairs VK Singh at the India-Asean Foreign Ministers meet at Laos earlier this week.