Honduras News – Daily News about Honduras

The Madrid summit witnessed the official closing of trade negotiations between the EU and the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama.

Heads of state signed off on the “trade pillar” of the association agreement today. In a joint statement, leaders said that they had achieved “an ambitious, comprehensive and balanced” outcome.

The trade deal will include “100 percent market opening for industrial products on both sides,” the statement said. The agreement will also allow European cars to enter the Central American countries’ markets free of tariffs over a ten-year period. New quotas will be implemented for trade in beef and rice, allowing more of each product to enter the European Union.

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Manuel Zelaya stated today, that if Congress does not reinstate him into office next week, the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accord “is a failure.” He then reminded MPs, judges, prosecutors and the military to not forget that they have pending trials in the International Criminal Court

Zelaya made the “comments” and “reminders” in a round table where, with his wife, Xiomara Castro, the Catholic priest Andres Tamayo, and his main political advisers, they reviewed the scope of the agreement signed by their representatives on Friday.

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The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Panama and Honduras took effect on Friday, which will facilitate the circulation of 80 percent of the goods between both countries, the Panamanian Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Mici) said, Xinhua reported.

According to Mici, the commercial agreement will allow the free circulation of goods, intensify the services sector and create opportunities for bilateral commercial exchanges, which totaled 165 million U.S. dollars.

The agreement was signed in June 2007 by Panamanian President Martin Torrijos and his Honduran counterpart Manuel Zelaya after one-year negotiations.

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