ZAGREB TO HOST WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE FOR COUNTRIES IN REGION

ZAGREB, June 9 (Hina) - Zagreb will host a ministerial conference of Central and South-East European countries on 11-12 June. The event will be organised by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) secretariat. #L# The conference will gather around 120 participants from 19 countries in the region, as well as officials of regional and international organisations, such as the European Commission, the World Bank, the Stability Pact, the OECD, the UN, and foreign diplomats accredited in the Croatian capital. The purpose of the event is to address some issues which will crop up in a new round of negotiations on the liberalisation of world trade, launched at last year's WTO summit meeting in Qatar's capital Doha, said Croatia's Economy Minister Hrvoje Vojkovic at a news conference on Sunday. Vojkovic says the fact that Zagreb hosts the conference is a sign that Croatia is seen as being in the vanguard of the liberalisation of trade in the region. Apart from Central and South-East European countries, countries- applicants for WTO membership will have their delegations at the Zagreb conference as well. Croatia, being a WTO member, has the right to participate in the definition of rights and obligations of new members, including the markets of Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, which are particularly interesting for Zagreb, said an assistant to the Croatian Economy Minister, Olgica Spevec. Vojkovic announced talks between WTO Director-General Mike Moore and top Croatian officials. The conference will focus on the WTO's technical assistance, admission of new members, multilateral trade system, new challenges after the Doha conference, and rules in the liberalisation of trade. Besides the above mentioned countries, participating in the Zagreb event are also Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey. (hina) ms