Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann says he would like a third set of bilateral treaties with the European Union to cover such issues as taxes and electricity.
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Schneider-Amman, who has been in office for almost three months, was speaking at a news conference in Bern on Monday at which he presented his priorities.
Schneider-Ammann said he wanted to intensify discussions with Brussels because the bilateral way of carrying out business with the EU was far from being exhausted, despite voices to the contrary within the 27-nation member organisation.
He said a package of Bilateral III measures could help negotiations out of a rut, and linking some issues would increase the margin for manoeuvre. It could also pave the way for a framework for all the 120 bilateral treaties with the EU.
Schneider-Ammann said his other priorities were education and research, as well as signing free trade agreements with India, Indonesia and China.
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