12/01/2026 (Agence Europe) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, visiting Ahmedabad (India) on Monday 12 January, called for the swift conclusion of a free trade agreement between the EU and India, highlighting a context of “profound political changes”. During this state visit, he advocated concluding this trade agreement at the end of January, at an EU-India summit that has been anticipated for nearly a year. The event is due to take place on the 27th, according to several sources. On Friday 9 January, the European Commission said that the trade agreement discussions were moving in the right direction, after holding talks with Indian officials in Brussels (see EUROPE 13782/4). The stakes are high for both partners, against a backdrop of tense trade relations with the United States (PLD)