Norway and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) agreed to modernize the Free Trade Agreement with Turkey. Minister of Industry, Monica Mæland (H) is pleased with the outcome.
On Friday, Monica Mæland, Minister for Industry, attended the ministers’ meeting in Geneva, where relations with Turkey were one of the main themes.
At the meeting, it became clear that EFTA needed to upgrade the agreements with existing free trade partners.
‘’I am very pleased that we have come to an agreement with Turkey regarding this. It is particularly important for Norway that a good framework for trade in services has been established,’’ said the Minister for Industry.
The changes to the agreement, in addition to trade in services, covers the environment and employee rights.
Turkish economist Nihat Zeybekci participated in the announcement that negotiations have concluded.
Mæland also discussed other free trade agreements and Brexit with its counterparts in EFTA. She says it is important to continue the EFTA work with free trade agreements despite trade restrictions in other parts of the world.
EFTA was founded in 1960 to facilitate increased trade, growth and prosperity among member countries. The free trade area today consists of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
