The Peninsula | 11/25/2009

Lobbies trying to stall FTA with EU: Attiyah

DOHA: Lobbies representing European petrochemicals and aluminum industries are attempting to stall the long overdue Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC and the European Union, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry, H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, told reporters yesterday.

“Some in EU are trying to disrupt this agreement as they are concerned about competition in petrochemicals, aluminum and other sectors from the GCC,” he said after the inauguration ceremony of the Qatofin Liner Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) plant in Mesaieed Industrial City.

Al Attiyah said the FTA talks for which all the GCC countries jointly negotiating has been going for a long time and the GCC country got weary with discussions coming to a standstill from the GCC side. “If we are to sign the FTA agreement with the EU, it should be on a win-win basis,” Al Attiyah.