US seeks MEFTA in Persian Gulf by 2014

From http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=44886§ionid=351020205



US seeks MEFTA in Persian Gulf by 2014
Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:54:09


Kent Patton, US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
The US is engaged in informal talks with some Persian Gulf countries on a Middle East Free Trade Agreement, a Bahraini newspaper says.

"President George W. Bush had proposed this free trade initiative that offers a vision of openness, trade integration, and economic development for the Middle East," said Kent Patton, US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs as quoted by the Bahraini paper, Daily News.

Patton, on a week-long visit to the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait, said the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Bahrain has been working very well ever since it came into existence.

"We would want similar agreements with other nations in the region but are also keen on Middle East Free Trade Agreement (MEFTA)," he added.

"There is a 2014 deadline for this but we hope it could be achieved sooner. There are no official discussions on but the process is very much in place. We are talking," noted the official.

MHE/BGH


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