EU-India trade deal is what world needs, not tariffs, Finland PM Orpo says

By Anne Kauranen

HELSINKI, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The EU-India trade deal will create opportunities and is what the world needs instead of tariffs, Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said, after meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The European Union and India reached a landmark trade deal at the end of last month to cut tariffs on most goods and reduce reliance on the U.S. against a backdrop of global trade tensions.

"In today's world, the value of the trade agreement is extremely high. What we need globally is more free trade, not tariffs," Orpo said in a telephone interview with Reuters.

The Indian Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that both leaders had welcomed the EU-India deal, "which will serve as a catalyst for shared progress and prosperity".

The agreement is expected to be implemented within a year.

The EU's vetting process could potentially face some setbacks as has been the case with its Mercosur trade deal, which EU lawmakers have voted to challenge in the bloc's top court.

But Orpo said he saw no such obstacles to implementing the EU-India deal emerging from European Union member states.

"I conveyed greetings from last week's European Council meeting, where everyone was unusually unanimous and satisfied that the trade agreement has been concluded."

Orpo, who will also attend India's AI Summit during his visit, said Finland would seek to double its trade with India by the beginning of 2030s.

ORPO URGES SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

Orpo said he told Modi that Finland and the EU's position on Ukraine must be supported and pressure put on Russia to achieve peace. He said Russian oil exports to India were not discussed.

"Modi strongly emphasised that he is working to find solutions to the crisis in Ukraine," Orpo said.