UAE-EU free trade talks advancing rapidly, UAE state minister says

ABU ‌DHABI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Free trade talks ‍between ‌the United Arab Emirates and the European Union ⁠are advancing ‌rapidly, UAE state minister Lana Nusseibeh said on Thursday at a briefing with an EU ⁠commissioner.

The EU and the UAE launched the talks earlier ​this year, focusing on trade in ‌goods, services, investment and ⁠deepening cooperation in strategic sectors, including renewable energy, green hydrogen and critical raw ​materials, the EU said in April.

The fourth round of talks is scheduled to take place in the UAE this ​week ‍and a fifth ​round is scheduled for early next year, according to Nusseibeh.

"We're having very productive conversations," she said.

The EU is the UAE's second-largest trading partner, accounting for 8.3% of ⁠UAE's total non-oil trade.

The wealthy Gulf state is also the ​EU’s largest export destination and investment partner in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the UAE ‌state news agency.

(Reporting by Youssef Saba; Writing by Ahmed ELimam, Editing by Sharon Singleton)