Trade blocs

Eleven countries including Japan and Canada signed a landmark Asia-Pacific trade agreement without the United States on March 8 in what one minister called a powerful signal against protectionism and trade wars.

A "deep and comprehensive" trade deal of the kind the U.K. says it wants with the EU would require Britain to accept a "binding convergence mechanism" with EU laws, according to a draft resolution from the European Parliament obtained by POLITICO.

Ministers responsible for trade in the EU meet at an informal meeting in Bulgaria.

The European Commission will be represented by Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade. Ministers will discuss the prospects for a trading system.

Turkey and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) signed a trade and investment cooperation agreement on Feb. 22 at an economic and business forum in Istanbul. 

 Britain is seeking a free trade agreement with China, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday as she flew to the country for talks with Chinese leaders, adding that more should be done immediately to open up market access for British firms, according to Reuters. 

Naturally, Greece concerned itself mostly with the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week. The European Union, meanwhile, largely focused on the achievement of an initial agreement with the British government over Brexit on Friday.

BRUSSELS - Serbia will open two new chapters in its EU accession talks at an intergovernmental conference in Brussels on Monday, December 11.

The final decision to open Chapters 6 (company law) and 30 (external relations) was made by the 28 EU member states without debate at a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives(COREPER) at ambassadorial level.

Senior officials from Turkey and the EU held a high-level Economic Dialogue meeting on Dec. 8, saying they seek to improve ties, boost economic performance, and resolve major common issues after a rocky period in relations.

BRUSSELS - Serbia will open new negotiation chapters in its EU accession talks at a December 11 Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels.

According to Tanjug's diplomatic sources in Brussels, consent of all 28 EU member states - which are to decide whether to open two or three new chapters with Serbia - is still pending.

BELGRADE - European Movement in Serbia (EMinS) President Mihailo Crnobrnja is hoping Serbia will join the EU by 2025 - as has been announced by some EU officials - and believes the enlargement process will not stop despite the EU's problems.