EXPERTS HARMONISE AGREEMENT ON CROATIA'S ADMISSION TO CEFTA

ZAGREB, Feb 22 (Hina) - The preliminary harmonisation of an agreement on Croatia's admission to the CEFTA was completed at a two-day meeting of CEFTA member-states' expert teams in Zagreb, the Economy Ministry said on Friday, adding the agreement should go into force on Jan. 1, 2003, by which time it should be ratified by the association's members. The signing of the agreement and Croatia's admission to the CEFTA (Central European Free Trade Agreement) will put out of force the bilateral free trade agreements Croatia signed with the association's members, Assistant Economy Minister Olgica Spevec said. If further negotiations proceed as agreed, conditions will be provided for signing the agreement at a conference of the CEFTA members' joint committee in Bratislava in June. The agreement might also be signed at a special meeting between Croatia and the CEFTA states. CEFTA was established in 1991, while the Agreement on the establishment of the free trade zone was signed a year later. The association includes Romania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria. Besides Croatia, the Baltic countries and the Russian Federation are interested in joining. (hina) ha sb