EFTA aims for trade deal with Mexico
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Mexico have opened negotiations on a free trade agreement, which the authorities say could be signed as early as November. Switzerland is one of four members of EFTA.
The announcement on Wednesday comes two weeks after the talks began, and follows similar negotiations between Mexico and the European Union.
Making the announcement at a press conference in Mexico City, the Swiss ambassador, Marcus Keiser, said he hoped relations between the EFTA and Mexico would be strengthened by the arrival of the new Mexican government under President-elect, Vicente Fox.
Fox was elected at the beginning of July, bringing an end to seven decades of one party rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
The announcement that trade talks are underway follows a meeting between Switzerland’s economics minister, Pascal Couchepin, and the Mexican trade minister.
Mexico is a signatory of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), along with the United States and Canada, but is free to negotiate bilateral trade deals with other countries.
swissinfo with agencies
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.