After four days of talks, the first round of negotiations between MERCOSUR and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries was successfully concluded. Negotiations were conducted in a constructive and amicable spirit and progress was made on all areas.
The MERCOSUR delegation was headed by Ambassador Horacio Reyser Travers, Secretary for International Economic Relations of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, in the context of Argentina's Presidency Pro Tempore of MERCOSUR. The EFTA delegation was headed by Jan Farberg, Director General of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, alongside a large technical team from several government departments.
Both sides engaged in a fruitful exchange of information on all areas, including trade in goods, rules of origin, trade facilitation, customs cooperation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade in services, technical barriers to trade, intellectual property, public procurement, trade and sustainable development, trade defence, investment, competition and horizontal, legal and institutional provisions.
In a context of constructive and positive dialogue, MERCOSUR and EFTA undertook commitments to continue advancing on this process. The next round of negotiations will be held in Geneva in August 2017.
Press release No. 241/17
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