Thailand hopes FTA with EU helps increase access to medicine

Tuesday, September 24, 2013 20:02

During the latest round of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiationsbetween Thailand and the European Union, Thai representativesproposed that the two parties cooperate in technological exchange interms of medicine research and development.

Olarn Chaiprawat,head of the negotiation committee for the Thai-EU FTA, said the secondround of talks last week touched on many issues, such as the tradeliberalisation of goods and services, trade obstacles and sustainabledevelopment.

The two parties followed up on the progressof the work which they had agreed during the first round ofnegotiations held in Brussels , Belgium in May. They also discussedeach other’s trade rules and regulations and agreed to hold sidelinetalks in the operational-level.

Following concerns that theFTA would affect the accessibility of medicine, the Thai side asked theEU to work with it in exchanging technology for the commercialproduction of pharmaceutics to increase people’s access to medicine.

The next round of negotiations is scheduled in Brussels in December this year.-VNA

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