Trade blocs

Yet, despite overwhelming support for Ukraine in its fight for survival against Russian aggression, many of the 27 member states are leery of diminishing the accession process just to make a symbolic gesture to a country in need.

China has not adopted the rules of the World Trade Organization even after 20 years' membership, the United States said yesterday, adding that the world's second-biggest economy had "retained and expanded" its statist approach to the detriment of businesses and workers globally.

New Zealand and Australia have ratified the multilateral trade agreement, considered the largest in the world, said today the Minister of State for Trade and Export Growing of Wellington Phil Twiford.

Serbia has always been genuine, and sometimes even the only friend and ally of Czechoslovakia, said a member of the Czech party Freedom and Direct Democracy, Deputy Chairman of the Czech Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and former diplomat Jiri Kobza, talking about Serbia's possible EU accesion.

By Carl Bildt *

In 2015, the US had a trade policy that tried to fashion the global trade system of the future.

Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan met virtually on March 31 with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and discussed new ways to increase bilateral trade flows.

"We had a fruitful meeting with ambassador Tai and exchanged views on global and bilateral issues," Pekcan said on Twitter.

As European Union membership continues to be a strategic target for Turkey, updating the Customs Union will be a key step to create a positive agenda between both sides, said Turkey's trade minister on March 23. 

The United Kingdom has been added to the list of non-EU countries from which citizens are allowed entry to Greece as of next week, the Civil Aviation Authority said in its latest notam on Saturday.

Italy's foreign minister said on Dec. 10 that Turkey has great opportunities for economic cooperation in infrastructure, adding that he hopes for more cooperation in railways and other areas in the coming months.

European Union governments piled pressure on the Netherlands on Thursday to unblock half-a-trillion euros of economic support to fight the coronavirus ahead of a meeting of finance ministers, with Italy saying the very future of the EU was at stake.