WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE BEGINS IN ZAGREB - EXTENDED

ZAGREB, June 11 (Hina) - World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director- General Mike Moore on Tuesday opened a two-day ministerial conference of Central and Southeast European countries, organised by the WTO secretariat in Zagreb. #L# Opening the event, Moore said the conference was an occasion for WTO members as well as for aspirants to work together on the growth and development of the region and to take active part in a new round of negotiations on the further liberalisation of the world trade. The conference has gathered around 120 participants from 18 countries in the region, as well as officials of regional and international organisations. Its purpose is to address some issues which will crop up in the new round of negotiations on the world trade liberalisation, launched at last year's WTO summit meeting in Qatar's capital Doha. Moore said the Doha conference had set up a challenging aim of completion of new negotiations until January 2005, and he expects that the successful accomplishment of that goal will affect the development of the world economy in the next 50 years. Addressing the event, Croatia's First Deputy Prime Minister Drazen Budisa said his country had been a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for only a year and half, and during this period it had achieved one of the most important aims of the trading policy - 80 percent of Croatia's foreign trade was now based on the principles of free trade. Prior to its admission in the WTO, Croatia had only three free trade agreements, and their number climbed to 30 after the country joined the WTO. Croatia's integration into international free trade trends would not be possible without its WTO membership. Therefore it is in the interest of Croatia to continue participating in the WTO enlargement, as it influences the country's economic development, Budisa said. Croatian Economy Minister Hrvoje Vojkovic said that attending the Zagreb conference were both WTO members and those who were aspiring to join it. Croatia, a small transitional country with an open economy, is promoting the liberalisation of the world trade which is one of the most important characteristics of the country's economic policy, Vojkovic said. The liberalisation of trading relations in the region is of special importance for Croatia, and that's why Zagreb is interested in the admission of its neighbours, Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia in the WTO very soon, he added. Croatia will offer expert assistance to the said countries in their negotiations on this issue, the minister said. (hina) ms