On 16 November the EFTA Council met under the chairmanship of Switzerland, which holds the rotating EFTA Council Chair in the second half of the year. The Council prepared for the Ministerial meeting, which will be held in Geneva on 23 November, and authorised the Secretary-General to sign a new memorandum of understanding between Eurostat and EFTA.

The Council finalised preparations for the Ministerial meeting in Geneva, where it is foreseen that EFTA Ministers will launch negotiations on a free trade agreement with their colleagues from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The new Memorandum of Understanding between Eurostat and EFTA will cover a three-year period, from 2011 to 2013, and deals with technical cooperation in the field of statistics.

The Council reviewed the results of the sixth negotiating round with India that was held in Geneva in November. Delegates were also informed about recent meetings with Mongolia and Morocco. Mongolia and the EFTA States signed a joint declaration on cooperation in 2007. The EFTA countries have had a free trade agreement with Morocco since 1997.
The next Council meeting will take place on 6 December 2010.

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Related Category
EFTA Council Meeting
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About EFTA