CAIRO: Egypt and the European Union on Friday signed a new protocol on settling trade disputes, Egypt's MENA news agency reported. According to the report, the two sides signed the protocol on the sidelines of the 9th meeting of Euro-Mediterranean trade ministers. Egyptian advisor to the country's trade minister Samiha Fawzy, called on the Euro-Mediterranean group to form an economic bloc capable of competing with other international blocs. She asked for striking more free trade agreements with regional countries, including Turkey, expanding the Agadir Agreement on free trade to include Palestine, and boosting cooperation, especially in service trade, and further liberalizing agro-trade. During the meeting, the officials agreed on several initiatives meant to enhance trade cooperation among Euro-Mediterranean countries, including hammering out a mechanism for facilitating trade and investment among those countries and fostering cooperation in fighting the counterfeit trade. Egypt and the European Union agreed on the terms and conditions for importing livestock, slaughtered and frozen meat and poultry from the European Union. The conditions stipulate that live calves can be imported from the EU for their immediate slaughter, said Chairman of the Egyptian General Authority for Veterinary Services Mohamed Moustafa el-Garhi. BM
