The process of forging a formal relationship between Central America and the European Union (EU) has dragged on for years, stalled mainly due to political crises in this region and disagreements over bananas.

But negotiations made a notable leap forward last week when European Trade Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner announced a target completion date of May 18 for an Association Agreement.

The push to finish discussions shows Europe's commitment to a relationship with Central America, according to Roberto Echandi, Costa Rica's chief negotiator in talks with the EU.

Echandi said that the EU needs this agreement because no region-to-region trade talks to date have been successful.

In addition, leadership in both regions will soon change, making it challenging for new leaders to recreate existing dialogue. In addition, the next summit between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean (after the May 18 summit in Madrid ) is not scheduled for another few years.

Before returning to his home in Brussels, Echandi spoke to The Tico Times about landmarks that already have been reached in the negotiations, future hurdles and how the agreement would benefit Costa Rica.

“It's not only a free trade agreement. It's also an Association Agreement, which is different. What's the difference? Well (the Association Agreement) is more comprehensive and it includes three different pillars: political dialogue, cooperation and the establishment of a free trade agreement,” Echandi explained.

See the Jan. 29 print or digital edition of The Tico Times for more the full interview.