China and Norway to resume free trade negotiations in a few months

Monica MælandBEIJING, China.Industry Minister Monica Mæland outside the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

Industry Minister, Monica Mæland, confirmed that Norway and China will resume negotiations on a free trade agreement within five months.

On Thursday, Mæland met representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Beijing.

Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, is leading a Norwegian delegation on an official visit to China, with the resumption of political and economic cooperation between China and Norway being the main purpose of the visit.

‘We have agreed to start free trade negotiations again within five months’, she said.

Negotiations between China and Norway came to a standstill in 2010.

‘I feel that we are both keen to create a modern, forward-looking agreement. The world looks different in 2017 than it did in 2010.

China is our most important trading partner in Asia. Putting in place a system of agreements relating to that fact is very important for Norwegian industry in the future,’ said Mæland.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today