RIYADH: The implementation of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which has been negotiated for the last 20 years, will be one of France’s main priorities during the rotating EU presidency which it took yesterday. But the GCC said that it would not accept any political conditions by the EU to the signing of a free trade agreement.
“We expect new development during a planned visit by a European delegation this month,” said Calvo Puerta, charge d’ affaires at the Riyadh-based chapter of the Delegation of the European Commission, here yesterday.
Puerta said “France, which has taken over the six-month EU presidency, is a strong EU member state and it is known for its history of commitments on all levels.”
Puerta said that France would play a more active role in its presidency. But as far as the GCC countries are concerned, they reject the imposition of conditions and political demands by the European side, said a report obtained by Arab News yesterday. The report says that GCC foreign ministers, in a meeting recently, agreed not to take a decision before receiving the final European position during a planned visit by an EC delegation in this month.