Sakova: Slovakia Welcomes EU-Mexico Global Agreement

Brussels, 23 May (TASR-correspondent) - The global agreement signed between the European Union and Mexico is good news for Slovakia as well, stated Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) following a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council - trade segment in Brussels. At the 8th EU-Mexico Summit in Mexico City, the EU and Mexico signed the Modernised Global Agreement and interim Trade Agreement, with both sides having agreed to deepen political and economic cooperation at a time of growing global uncertainty. Sakova noted she had recently discussed this issue with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, who accompanied European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to Mexico. "I absolutely welcome his activities over recent months and years, as he strives to open up new markets for Europe in his role as trade commissioner. The agreement with Mexico will certainly help the European economy because it opens up a new market for us. After India, this is another large new market with enormous potential," said Sakova, hoping that the trade agreement would be ratified as soon as possible to allow Europeans to export their products to this market. While Mexico is the second-largest market for the EU in Latin America, Sakova admitted that for Slovakia, it's not "at the top of the rankings in terms of trade relations". "But of course, discovering new markets and signing agreements of this kind means that barriers to free trade will be dismantled, and it will certainly be a challenge for some Slovak companies in certain sectors, allowing us, for instance, to arrange business meetings, seminars and conferences together with the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) in order to provide an impetus for Slovak-Mexican cooperation," she explained. According to Sakova, Slovakia is looking forward to this agreement because it will also benefit Slovak entrepreneurs and exporters. jrg