The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed a free trade agreement in Norway today. EFTA includes Switzerland, Norway, Island and Liechtenstein. The agreement was signed by GCC Secretary General Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiya and Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad who is also the President of the Current Session of the Ministerial Council of EFTA. In 2008, the volume of trade exchange between the two sides increased to $ 7 billion.