STATE SECRETARIES OF CEFTA MEMBER COUNTRIES MEET IN SOFIA

ZAGREB, March 26 (Hina) - The State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Vladimir Vrankovic, led a Croatian delegation at a meeting of state secretaries of Central European Free Trade Association (CEFTA) member countries that took place in the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Friday, the Croatian government said in a statement.#L# This was the association's last meeting in the present form since five out of eight of its members -- the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia -- will become full members of the European Union on May 1. All the state secretaries submitted reports on negotiations with the EU. They also talked about bilateral negotiations of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia on the liberalisation of trade with the EU and possible changes in trade conditions after May 1. Vrankovic said that talks on the signing of Protocol VII, which will regulate trade between Croatia and the EU after its enlargement on May 1, will be completed by the end of April. The meeting devoted special attention to a transitional period during which relations between the remaining members of the CEFTA and the five countries joining the EU would be regulated in order to ensure unobstructed trade after the expiry of the existing agreements. The state secretaries adopted a plan of activities for 2004 and agreed to discuss Macedonia's application to join the association at one of the next meetings. (Hina) vm