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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Bilateral free trade agreements do not contradict efforts to forge a multilateral deal under the World Trade Organization but instead help fill key gaps, the European Union trade chief said Sunday in announcing the start of two-way negotiations with South Korea.
"They add to the sum total of world trade and they reach into areas and to heights of trade opening that cannot be achieved in the current round of multilateral talks," European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson told reporters.
His remarks came at a news conference with Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong of South Korea formally announcing the launch Monday of free trade negotiations between the 27-member EU and Asia's third-largest economy.
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