According to a media report quoted by PTI, Russia’s Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov has said that India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are discussing a limited and temporary trade arrangement covering selected groups of goods as part of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA).Describing the talks as “complex”, Reshetnikov said the Indian side’s requests were “quite ambitious”.“Things are more complicated with India: the economy is larger, mutual interests are more complex. And, frankly, the requests of our partners are also quite ambitious,” he said in an interview with the Vesti program, according to the state-run TASS news agency.“Therefore, we are currently discussing a limited and temporary free trade area, that is, for a list of goods defined by product groups,” he said.Reshetnikov’s comments came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said talks on trade liberalization between India and the EAEU had gained momentum.Speaking at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, Putin was quoted by TASS as saying: “Last year trade agreements were concluded with Mongolia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Indonesia, which accelerated negotiations on trade liberalization with India.”The Russian President said that the EAEU supports starting negotiations on free trade agreements with new partners and all aspects of such cooperation will be carefully analyzed.The EAEU is a five-member economic bloc that includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. Established in 2015, the grouping aims to promote economic integration through a common market, remove trade barriers and coordinate economic policies among member countries.The India-EAEU Free Trade Agreement process has gained momentum in recent years.In August 2025, India and the EAEU signed the terms of reference to formally begin negotiations for a free trade agreement. At the time, both sides said bilateral trade turnover was set to reach $69 billion in 2024, up 7 percent from the previous year.The first round of talks took place in November last year.