Egyptian-EU final partnership accord to be signed
Egypt-European Union, Economics, 3/29/2001

European union trade commissioner Pascal lamy expected on Sunday that a final Egyptian-EU partnership agreement would be signed within the next weeks.

A partnership agreement was initialled between Egypt and the EU in Brussels last January.

In a joint press conference he held with Economy Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali yesterday, Lamy described the deal as an important development in the history of bilateral ties that would give a strong momentum to the trade move between the two sides and lead to a flux of European investments into Egypt.

The EU appreciates Egypt's weight, not only as the group's most important regional trade partner, but also as a key player in the Arab and Islamic worlds as well as in Africa, the commissioner said.

Praising the economic reform programme pursued by Egypt, lamy said the EU is very much interested in the country's economic transformation and is keen to support it so as to help Egyptian products gain access to the European market.

Asked about his talks with Ghali, the EU commissioner said he had discussed with the minister the future of EU-Egyptian relations, particularly after signing the partnership agreement.

"The talks also touched on the next ministerial meetings of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Egypt's views on the attitudes of third world countries towards multilateral trade negotiations in light of the country's key role as a leading developing nation in the region," Lamy pointed out.

On whether EU's stance towards the WTO ministerial meetings was still the same as the one it had adopted at the Seattle conference, which failed because of contradictory European and American attitudes, the commissioner said the bloc now had a different stand.

Lamy said he asked the European council to give him the necessary authority to take a more flexible and friendly stance towards developing nations in the next WTO meetings.

On his part, Ghali said he discussed with the EU trade commissioner all issues related to bilateral relations, adding they would resume talks on Sunday evening on matters pertaining to multilateral trade negotiations within the framework of the WTO.

Previous Stories:
  EU to import potatoes cultivated in Sharq Owinat   (3/21/2001)
  Egypt promotes economic relations with EFTA   (3/3/2001)
  Egyptian European partnership agreement signing soon   (1/24/2001)

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