Versión Español
EspañolEcuador and the European Commission have restarted bilateral negotiations in Brussels to reach a trade agreement. This round, set to finish this Friday, will be the first one since Rafael Correa’s administration suspended them in 2009. Both parties will discuss the country’s possible addition to the multiparty agreement between the European Union, Colombia, and Peru.
The deputy secretary of commercial negotiations and economic integration, Roberto Betancourt, will head Ecuador’s negotiation team, while the European Commission represents the European bloc. The key points in this first round will be the access of goods in both markets, trade services, and government imports.
The trade agreement that the European Union has already reached with Colombia and Peru allows for the inclusion of Ecuador whenever it wishes, after complying with the necessary stipulations. However, last November, President Correa rejected it as a free trade agreement, contrary to his wishes. He also stated that negotiations wouldn’t be held “at any cost.”
Sources: El Universo y El Nacional.
