EU, Singapore to discuss FTA

EU, Singapore to discuss FTA    The European Union and Singapore have begun talks toward establishing a free trade agreement.
   Officials are meeting in Singapore this week.
   'The proposed free trade agreement will strengthen economic ties between Singapore and the EU, provide new opportunities for traders and consumers alike and contribute to generating growth in our economies,” EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gutch said in a statement. “For Europe, it will also mark an important stepping stone in the EU’s engagement with the ASEAN region.”
   The EU also announced it would begin free trade talks with Vietnam. International news outlets are reporting the EU prefers to engage ASEAN nations individually, rather than as a bloc, because it has ongoing sanctions against the government of Myanmar.
   The ASEAN region is the EU's third-biggest trading partner after the United States and China.