S. Korea, EU likely to sign free trade agreement this year: EU official By Lee Chi-dong

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the European Union (EU) are expected to reach a free trade agreement within the year, as the two sides have narrowed differences on all major sticking points, a senior EU official said Tuesday.

"We have had clear information (from South Korea) that we will come to an end to
the free trade agreement before the end of 2008," Hubert Pirker, chairman of the
European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, told a press conference here.
"We have compromises in all the key issues. Some small points should be solved on
a technical level during the next weeks. So we can be really optimistic of the
free trade agreement," he added, without elaborating what those "small points"
were.
Pirker arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a six-day stay, leading a seven-member EU
delegation. Their trip is focused on three major issues, those being the ongoing
global financial crisis, free trade agreement negotiations and inter-Korean
relations, the official said.
Pirker pointed out that South Korea is a strong partner in the fight against the
economic crisis, citing its healthy economy and dynamic activity in many export
markets.
He also reiterated European nations' commitment to provide development aid to
North Korea on the condition that the North fully cooperates in international
denuclearization efforts.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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