The Congress on Friday said on Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for its remarks against the India-ASEAN trade agreements signed under the UPA government, “Labeling these countries as” China’s B team “is” irresponsible and humiliating “.
Speaking at the India Global Forum (IGF) session in London, Goyal said, “There was a point 15 years ago when we were focusing more on FTA with countries that were our rivals. So if I am making an ASEAN compromise, it is really foolish because many of the people of China have now become the B team of China.”
“So effectively and indirectly, I have opened my market for goods that seek their way from China to India,” Goyal said.
Former Union Commerce Minister Sharma said in a statement on Friday, “Piyush Goyal’s statement called the trade agreement with ASEAN as foolish and it is irresponsible and derogatory to label these countries as China’s B team.”
He said that India and ASEAN have been “engaged in a versatile relationship for more than three decades” which is “mutually rewarded and important”. “This look is an integral part of the East policy, which is to deepen and diversify India’s relations with the economically lively field and huge geopolitical significance …”
He said, “The Commerce Minister should not insult him by bending backwards to strengthen trade relations with partner countries and interact with us on a sub -commercial business agreement with us on his own terms,” he said.
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