EU says customs agreement with C. America prerequisite for free trade deal
Red Orbit, Saturday, 4 March 2006
EU says customs agreement with C. America prerequisite for free trade deal
MANAGUA, March 3 (Xinhua) — A customs agreement with Central America should precede talks on the proposed free trade deal, said the European Union’s representative to Central America on Friday.
Such an agreement would allow "EU’s goods to move freely within the region, just as Central American goods do when they reach our continent", said Francesca Moska, who was in Nicaragua to take part in Thursday’s 15th Central America-EU Summit.
The EU already has a system of preferences which covers some Central American goods, she said. A "customs union is an indispensable prerequisite" for talks on a free trade deal between the EU and the region, she added.
The EU was actively working toward such an agreement and some Central American nations have also expressed a willingness to work with the 25-member bloc to reach the goal, she said.
Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS
