LJUBLJANA, Nov 7 (Hina) - Participants in the CEFTA plenary assembly, which took place in the Slovene resort of Brdo kod Kranja on Friday, said in a document they adopted at the end of the meeting that it was necessary to maintain
good cooperation which CEFTA (Central European Free Trade Agreement) member-states had achieved in the past ten years since the CEFTA was formed.
LJUBLJANA, Nov 7 (Hina) - Participants in the CEFTA plenary
assembly, which took place in the Slovene resort of Brdo kod Kranja
on Friday, said in a document they adopted at the end of the meeting
that it was necessary to maintain good cooperation which CEFTA
(Central European Free Trade Agreement) member-states had achieved
in the past ten years since the CEFTA was formed. #L#
They agreed that economic cooperation was of special importance.
This level of cooperation should be maintained also after 1 May
2004, when five of eight CEFTA members, namely Poland, the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia, are to join the European
Union, while Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania will remain in the
CEFTA.
It was Slovenia that showed a particular interest in it, as
Ljubljana has large trade with Croatia, but as of May next year the
trade between the two neighbours will be regulated by the EU-
Croatia Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and no longer by
the bilateral free trade deal.
Slovene Economy Minister Tea Petrin announced that the CEFTA
members, which would enter the EU next year, would ask the Union to
adjust agreements it had with Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania to new
circumstances so that conditions of the trade with the three
countries would not be affected by a new situation.
(hina) ms sb