S. Korea, EU agree to conclude FTA talks as soon as possible
Xinhua | 2009-02-09
S. Korea, EU agree to conclude FTA talks as soon as possible
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) — South Korea and the European Union (EU) agreed to conclude their free trade negotiation as early as possible, South Korean officials said on Monday.
The two sides reached the agreement during their 7th talks on their free trade agreement (FTA) in Seoul, South Korean officials told local media.
The negotiation was held between Ahn Ho-young, Seoul’s deputy minister for trade, and Karel Kovanda, the EU Commission’s deputy director-general for external relations.
The EU is South Korea’s second-largest trading partner after China, with their bilateral trade volume reaching 93.07 billion U.S. dollars in 2007.
Local media said South Korea wants to finalize the FTA talks within the first quarter this year and make it effective early next year.
