"We have directed our teams to make as much progress as possible during the next round, scheduled for the week of October 3 in New York."
On Monday, a diplomatic source told RIA Novosti that substantial progress could not be expected before the end of June 2017 on efforts to finalize the TTIP agreement, which seeks to establish a free trade zone between the European Union and the United States.
Last month, German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said the negotiations with US officials on TTIP had "de facto failed" because Europeans do not want to subject themselves to American demands.
The detailed content of the agreement has been concealed from the public but, according to leaks, TTIP will affect food safety laws, environmental legislation, banking regulations and open the European Union to genetically-modified crops.
