Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal will attend bilateral talks with counterparts from G7 nations in Reggio Calabria, Italy, next week. The talks will focus on improving trade and investment, according to an official statement released on Saturday.

Reggio Calabria, a coastal city in southern Italy, will host these discussions as part of the G7 Trade Ministers’ Meeting on July 16-17.

The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US.

India has been invited as an observer to the event.

These meetings seek to open new avenues for trade and investment, address bilateral trade issues, and deepen economic cooperation.

The commerce and industry ministry said India will showcase its significant trade and investment opportunities during the outreach session. Goyal will outline India’s vision for global trade and supply chain resilience, alongside reforms and initiatives to enhance business ease and attract foreign investments.

This visit is pivotal as India negotiates a free trade agreement with the UK and the European Union. Talks between India and Canada on a trade agreement, stalled last year due to political issues, have seen over half a dozen rounds of discussions. Before arriving in Italy, Goyal will be in Switzerland on July 14 and 15 to meet his Swiss counterparts.