The EU and four Andean Community nations agreed on Friday to hold "intensive" talks to try resolving disagreements over whether to launch free trade talks, Peru's president said.
President Alejandro Toledo told reporters that he hoped the talks, which EU officials said could stretch into July, could lead to a free trade pact between the two blocs by 2008.
"There are always barriers on the way to integration but this cannot hinder the ultimate goal of integration," he said. "Different opinions are normal."
In a final declaration adopted late on Friday, European, Latin American and Caribbean leaders welcomed the decision and noted that it would lead to the negotiation of an "Associated Agreement" that would include political dialogue, cooperation programs and a trade agreement.
The EU and the Andean Community agreed to hold "all necessary meetings" before June 20 to clarify and define the bases of the negotiation and to allow for the full and beneficial participation of all parties, the declaration said.
EU leaders were to meet with counterparts from Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia yesterday, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said.
Venezuela, meanwhile, said it wants to leave the Andean Community to protest moves by fellow members to sign free trade deals with the US.
NEW MARKET: The partnership opens up India to the Dutch company, which already has a strong hold in the semiconductor market of South Korea, Taiwan and China ASML Holding NV entered into a partnership agreement with Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd aimed at ramping up India’s goal to develop domestic chip-manufacturing capabilities. The Dutch company’s technology would help power Tata Electronics’ planned 300 millimeter (mm) semiconductor foundry in Gujarat, according to a joint statement from the two companies on Saturday. The signing of a memorandum of understanding coincides with a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Netherlands, which is looking to deepen bilateral relations with New Delhi. ASML, whose top customers include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) and Samsung Electronics Co, makes lithography machines that can print
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