Syria, EU Still Haggle Over Trade Pact

Language calling on Syria to renounce weapons of mass destruction continues to be a sticking point in the nation’s negotiations for a trade pact with the European Union, EU representative to Syria Franz Hesske said yesterday (see GSN, May 27).

“The association agreement is now before the authorities of the Syrian government. The process is not finished.  We hope to iron out the difficulties in not a distant future,” Hesske said.

Only two Mediterranean nations, Syria and Libya, do not have association agreements with the EU, Agence France-Presse reported.

Damascus is “working with the EU to find a formula which preserves the interests of Syria,” said Syrian official Abdullah Dardari, referring to Syria’s call for the creation of a WMD-free zone in the entire Middle East (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, July 1).

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