By KUNA,
Brussels : The foreign ministers of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and European Union (EU) agreed here Monday evening to sign the long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) between the two blocs by the end of 2008.
The announcement was made in a joint press conference by Ahmad bin Abdallah Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, the current president of the GCC and Dimitrij Rupel, the Foreign Minister of Slovenia, the current president of the EU.
The conference, addressed also by GCC Secretary General Abdulrahman Al-Atiyyah and EU Commissioner for External Affairs Benita Ferrero-Waldner, followed the 18th GCC-EU ministerial cooperation meeting.
“The two sides are now very close to concluding the agreement,” the Qatari minister said “According to what the experts told us, at the end of June, I think they will find a solution and it will be signed by the end of the year, I hope.
“Technical experts from both sides will hold intensive talks to prepare for the signing of the deal,” Al-Mahmoud asserted.
The two sides share the desire to work together in order to solve all standing problems and promote cooperation in such areas as education, environment and scientific research, Ferrero-Waldner noted.
“The two sides had made very good progress and were now closer than ever to a conclusion.
“We have to work closer together to reach a conclusion,” she said, adding that it was her conviction that the two sides needed to be more ambitious in their relations.
A number of “very technical questions” are yet to be settled, including in the area of export duties, Ferrero-Waldner underscored.
The protracted FTA talks between the two regional blocs began in 1990 but were slowed by the GCC agreeing only in 1999 to move towards forming a customs union and adopting a new EU negotiating strategy in 2001 to include the services sector in the talks. The GCC adopted the customs union in 2002.
For his part, the Slovenian minister lauded Qatar’s mediation efforts that led to the Doha Accord between the Lebanese parties.
Rupel called on all Lebanese political leaders to bridge the gaps among them and restore security and stability to their country through dialogue, and democratic and constitutional means.
Meanwhile, GCC Secretary General Al-Atiyyah said more discussions would be held during the working dinner late this evening.
The discussions will tackle issues including the Middle East conflict, the Iraqi crisis, Iran’s nuclear file, dialogue among civilizations, the war against terrorism, human rights and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the GCC chief disclosed.
Kuwait’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah who took part of the meeting left for Austria for an official visit for talks with senior officials.