India says EU ban on generic drugs 'unwarranted'

Reuters
European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters ahead of a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels, Belgium, June 3, 2015. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The European Union's ban on Indian generic drugs is "unwarranted" and an obstacle to moving trade talks forward, India's foreign secretary said on Monday. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said EU restrictions on more than 700 generic drugs were unfair. "It's our hope that this matter would be looked at fairly and sensibly and would hopefully not be an impediment to the free trade deal," he told journalists after German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to New Delhi. India and Germany pledged on Monday to revive efforts to reach an Indo-European free trade pact after talks fell apart this year. (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Writing by Tommy Wilkes)