KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28: The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) expects to sign a free trade agreement with India by the middle of next year, the chief of the grouping said on Tuesday.

The comment reflects Asean’s caution about whether differences over concessions by India can be ironed out in time for a summit in November, following an upbeat assessment by India’s top trade official this week.

Ong Keng Yong, secretary-general of Asean, said the gap between the negotiating positions of the two sides made efforts to reach agreement difficult, but he hoped the November meeting would give political impetus to the talks.

“We’re hoping to have some agreement for leaders at this coming summit in Singapore,” Ong told reporters in the Malaysian capital. “It’s not easy, because of the gap that’s still there, but we hope to get some political momentum.” In Manila this week, Indian Commerce Secretary Gopal Pillai said the agreement was almost 98 per cent settled, though he did not say what issues needed to be ironed out.

“We hope to sign it at the Asean summit in Singapore in November,” Pillai told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of an Asean trade meeting.

Asean officials have previously said India needs to agree to take out petroleum products from a sensitive list of goods whose tariffs will not be eliminated.

Besides petroleum, India wanted palm oil, coffee, tea and pepper to be treated as a special case, Ong said.

“They say their concern is that these five products are critical to them and they cannot give concessions to Asean,” he added.

—Reuters/AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Doctor attacked
09 Jun, 2026

Doctor attacked

AN act of reprehensible violence has shaken the medical community. On Saturday, an employee of the Provincial Civil...
AJK flare-up
Updated 09 Jun, 2026

AJK flare-up

The situation started deteriorating after a trader affiliated with the JAAC was reportedly shot in an altercation with law-enforcers.
Fault lines
09 Jun, 2026

Fault lines

THE April 8 ceasefire that halted hostilities between Israel and Iran has encountered its most serious test yet....
Soft on traders
08 Jun, 2026

Soft on traders

THE Fixed Tax Asaan Scheme for traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs200m has been designed as a ‘pragmatic...
Ceasefire in name
Updated 08 Jun, 2026

Ceasefire in name

Both sides accuse the other of violating the truce that was supposed to halt the conflict in April, yet neither appears willing to abandon negotiations altogether.
Damaged childhoods
08 Jun, 2026

Damaged childhoods

CHILD abuse is so prevalent that the UN ranked Pakistan as the least safe country for children. Even so, more than...