CNBC reports that an analyst from risk consultancy Eurasia Group said that an investment pact between the European Union and China is still possible, but both sides may wait until 2023 at the earliest to ratify the deal.

The EU and China agreed on the deal in December after seven years of negotiations. But tensions between the two — which saw both sides imposing sanctions on each other — led the European Parliament to freeze the deal until Beijing lifts sanctions on EU politicians.

Despite the hiccup, Neil Thomas, China analyst at Eurasia Group, said it’s “more probable than not” that the EU and China will in the longer term ratify the deal called the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment.

“That’s because the deal really has lopsided benefits for Europe, and that’s going to keep the deal alive in terms of it enjoying a fair amount of approval and popularity amongst EU officials and majority of the bloc’s members,” Thomas told.