Next Round of Talks on India-EAEU Proposed Trade Pact Likely in Feb

India and the Russia-led EAEU group are likely to hold the next round of talks for the proposed trade agreement in February, an official said on Wednesday.

India and the five-nation Russia-led grouping, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), on August 20, inked the terms of reference for the agreement.

The first round of talks was held here in November.

The second round is expected in February in Russia, the official said.

The terms of reference signed on August 20, 2025, outline an 18-month work plan aimed at diversifying markets for Indian businesses, including MSMEs farmers and fishermen.

Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan are the five member countries of EAEU.

The pact is important as India is looking to diversify its export markets due to high tariffs imposed by the US.

Russia is the top trading partner of India in the bloc, with bilateral trade worth $68.72 billion in 2024-25 (exports $4.88 billion and imports $63.84 billion). The high import numbers are due to a jump in crude oil imports.

The bilateral trade with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan was $315.18 million, $106.69 million, $349.48 million, and $56.78 million, respectively, in the last fiscal year.