The European Union (EU) together with five Southern African Development Community (SADC) states will meet in Botswana in May next year to sign a new trade deal, reports Bloomberg news.
A date for signing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was agreed on during talks in Brussels, Botswana’s Trade and Industry Ministry reportedly told the news agency.
Negotiations between the EU and SADC began in 2004, with an interim agreement being signed in June 2009 by only some of the regional states. A full accord was only reached in July last year.
Botswana chairs the SADC EPA, which also includes Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.
