The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has decided to suspend free trade talks with the European Union (EU) because of a disagreement over human rights and democracy issues.
The free trade agreement, which has been in the pipeline for almost two decades, was nearing completion following agreements achieved in the areas of market access for goods and services, intellectual property rights and dispute settlement, and was almost signed in Qatar at the end of November by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, fustrated with the lack of progress, had earlier warned that “the negotiations with Europe have gone on for too long, and our European partner must know that the talks cannot last indefinitely".
The GCC Secretary-General Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, who notified the EU of the GCC's new standing on the talks, said that the Gulf states had forewarned the EU that if no progress was made they would be forced to suspend negotiations. He said that the GCC would have no objection to resuming talks at a later date if a way forward could be found.
The GCC, which recently signed a free trade agreement with Singapore, is currently in talks with Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan and New Zealand to reach similar trade agreements.
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