MOSCOW (Sputnik) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel denied on Thursday claims that the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal was dead in the water, adding the free trade agreement was "absolutely" in Europe’s interest.
"I think this agreement is absolutely right and important and absolutely in Europe’s interest," Merkel said in response to a journalist’s question on whether the lengthy TTIP talks were crumbling.
Some members in the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Merkel’s junior partners in the government, reportedly declared the talks were nearing an impasse. Merkel said she had never heard of negotiators reaching a compromise three months before the end of talks. She added the deal would create more jobs in Europe.