Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić 22 February 2019 in Bucharest attended an informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in the Trade configuration, held as part of Romania’s Council of the EU presidency.
The meeting’s main topics were the WTO modernization and the EU-US trade relations.
The ministers expressed concern over the current crisis in global trade and the challenges facing the WTO. They voiced support for the European Commission’s initiatives concerned with preserving the values of the multilateral trade system.
The Council also discussed the status of the EU-US trade relations and the intention to launch talks to ease the tensions created by the implementation of protectionist measures.
The European Commission reported on the status of trade talks with Mexico, Mercosur, Australia, New Zealand, China, Chile and Indonesia.
The Commission also discussed the recent developments regarding the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, with special emphasis on Cambodia and Myanmar.