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GCC

Gulf Cooperation Council

GCC banking sector liberalisation: FTA impact
9-Aug-2005 Khaleej Times
Recently, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) negotiations are being held between the GCC countries and the USA. Being crucial sectors in these countries’ economies, the banking and financial sectors are being considered for liberalisation in the context of these FTAs.
India to explore FTA with AGCC
28-Jul-2005 Khaleej Times
India will explore a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and explore opportunities with individual countries in the Arab world for greater cooperation in the services sector.
GCC-EU Free Trade Agreement: a political imperative
14-Jul-2005 Dubai Quality Group
The way to counter the momentum of the US bilateral push would be to quickly bring to conclusion the deal between the GCC and the EU and through such a mechanism reinvigorate the multilateral approach to regional relations.
Wisdom ultimately prevails on Gulf states’ FTAs with US
27-Jun-2005 Zawya
The wise decision adopted by the GCC Finance and Economy Ministers to exclude the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) signed or expected to be signed with the United States from the Gulf agreement concerning unified customs tariffs is considered a prudent decision that serves the interest of enhancing Gulf economic co-operation and integration.
UAE rejects GCC pact on free trade deals: Official
21-Jun-2005
Gulf Arab efforts to defend a customs union suffered a setback after the United Arab Emirates refused to sign an accord barring bilateral trade deals except with the United States, Gulf sources said yesterday.
Atiyya: FTA agreements with the US will not hinder GCC march
5-Jun-2005
The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al Atiyya, has said that the next GCC summit in Abu Dhabi would boost the GCC march and joint economic work, particularly in the area of ensuring the implementation of the customs union and expediting steps towards the implementation of a Gulf Common Market.
Gulf Arab states exclude US from collective trade agreements
5-Jun-2005 AFP
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have agreed to exclude the United States from collective trade agreements, allowing members to strike bilateral free trade deals with Washington, the Kuwaiti foreign minister said.
Gulf countries, Turkey sign FTA deal
31-May-2005 China Daily
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and Turkey signed an agreement Monday to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA).
Syria to sign free trade agreement with GCC
22-May-2005 Xinhua
Syria will sign a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in June, the official al-Thawra newspaper said Friday.
Experts question whether Arabs, S. Americans can deliver alternative to US domination
13-May-2005 Khaleej Times
South American and Arab leaders showed the US this week that they can be a force to be reckoned with - at least when it comes to talking tough. But whether they will be able to fulfill their pledges hinges on their ability to look beyond domestic agendas and resist American efforts to lure them away with lucrative bilateral trade deals.
Mercosur, GCC sign free trade zone frame agreement
11-May-2005 Xinhua
The signing of the agreement is regarded as the first concrete fruit of the South American-Arab summit taking place in Brasilia this week.
GCC-China FTA talks on ’fast track’
9-May-2005 Xinhua
Free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China are on fast track and expected to be completed before the end of 2006, the Times of Oman daily reported on Saturday.
Gulf states discuss economic tie-up, FTA with the US
8-May-2005
Finance ministers from six Gulf states met yesterday to discuss economic integration, including a unified currency, and a free trade agreement with the United States, an official said.
Lubna calls on Japan to enter into FTA talks with the GCC
2-May-2005 Khaleej Times
Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Economy and Planning, yesterday urged Japan to enter into free trade negotiations with the GCC states so as to bolster its trade and investments ties with the region.
From TRIPS-minus to TRIPS to TRIPS-plus: Implications of IPRs for the Arab world
1-May-2005
This article sheds light on the evolution of free trade agreements (FTAs) and the IPR protection incorporated within such agreements. The emphasis will be on the latest free trade and investment agreements concluded between the United States and the European Union (EU) with the Arab world and their “TRIPS-Plus” nature.
Framework agreement between Mercosur and GCC is ready to be signed
28-Apr-2005
The text of the framework of the free trade agreement between the Mercosur and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is ready to be singed, a Brazilian foreign ministry official has disclosed.
United States pursues more free-trade agreements in the Middle East
26-Apr-2005 Daily Star
Trying to entrench its economic and political ties in the region, and blaming the Gulf Cooperation Council’s slowness in devising region-wide economic measures, the United States is aggressively pursuing a number of free-trade agreements in this part of the Middle East.
US eyes bilateral FTAs in Gulf
17-Apr-2005
With free trade agreements, come political leverage. Realising this, the United States is moving fast to sign bilateral FTAs with Gulf countries - in the hope that Washington would be able to fill a vacuum because of the slowness of these Arab states in starting any regional trading mechanisms of their own.
China, Gulf states to almost triple trade over next five years
14-Apr-2005 AFP
China is in discussions with the Gulf Cooperation Council to establish a free trade agreement (FTA) which is expected to take effect this year. The GCC member states hold 45 percent of the world’s oil reserves and account for 20 percent of oil production, and an FTA would help China shore up its energy supplies.
Sustainability Impact Assessment of the negotiations of the trade agreement between the European Community and the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
14-Apr-2005 SIA
Study commissioned by the European Union