The third round of negotiations for EFTA ended on Friday August 24th having made significant progress.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
A press release from the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign reads:
This Friday, in Costa Rica, saw the conclusion of the third round of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and the countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA acronym) comprising Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.
Guatemala joined in the process on this occasion under the principal that it would continue trading on the status that it had after the previous rounds.
"Progress in the discussion of the regulatory text between the 8 countries participating in the negotiations was important in the chapters where there were only a few issues left for agreement, such as the rules of access to markets, sustainable development and procurement. The work done in this round, and the intersessional tasks that will be carried out will help achieve good results in the next round in Geneva", said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Fernando Ocampo.
The next round will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, in the week of October 29. It was also agreed that there will be a fifth round of negotiations in Guatemala, on a date to be determined in order to complete this process.
¿Busca soluciones de inteligencia comercial para su empresa?
The agreement adds a legal framework for business with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, countries which have average per capita GDP of $47,800.
From a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica (COMEX):
This morning the Minister of Foreign Trade, Anabel Gonzalez and her counterparts from Panama, Ricardo Quijano, Norway, Trond Giske, Switzerland, Johann Schneider, Iceland, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson and Liechtenstein, Aurelia Frick signed a Free Trade Agreement negotiated with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), with which it consolidates its business relationship with the European continent.
After consultation with the productive sectors Guatemala's government has decided to join the group of Central American countries negotiating a free trade agreement with Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Guatemala had ruled out the idea of participating in the negotiations for a free trade agreement which Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras began with Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the old continent that are not part of the European Union and that in turn make up the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
Technical teams from Central America and the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are making good progress in the second round of negotiations on an FTA.
From a press release from the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Trade:
Technical teams from Central America (Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama) and the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are making good progress in the second round of negotiations on an FTA.
español
6931
