S. Korea, Ecuador hold new round of talks for bilateral trade deal
Yonhap News Agency - 20 September 2022
S. Korea, Ecuador hold new round of talks for bilateral trade deal
South Korea and Ecuador began a seventh round of talks Tuesday on the formation of a bilateral free trade deal, the trade ministry here said.
The two nations launched negotiations for the strategic economic cooperation agreement, or SECA, a type of free trade pact, in 2016 and held five rounds of talks that year. The sixth round took place in July after a six-year hiatus.
The latest round of talks will continue through Oct. 5, and they will take place virtually, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The two sides will discuss a wide range of trade issues involving manufactured goods, services and procurement, as well as ways to jointly respond to supply chain disruptions, the ministry said. The South American nation is rich in natural resources.
"The two nations have complementary trade relations. We will speed up negotiations this time based on the recently renewed momentum," a ministry official said.
