NEW COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT ON CORRIDOR 10 TO BE SIGNED SOON

ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - Business managers of Slovene, Croatian, Yugoslav, Macedonian, and Greek railway companies agreed at a meeting in Skopje to develop a joint commercial and tariff policy for Corridor Nr. 10, soon to be regulated with an agreement, the Croatian Railways said. Corridor Nr. 10 runs from Munich, Salzburg via Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Skopje to Salonika. Representatives of the five railway companies, who met in Skopje on April 10/11, discussed the situation on the transport market, with special emphasis on the section of Corridor Nr. 10 covered by their respective companies, and agreed that the transport of some goods could be redirected to the railways. All participants expressed readiness to increase transport along the corridor. The session agreed that current prices were too high and that the policy of separate tariffs affected the quantity of transport, which is why it was agreed to develop a single commercial and tariff policy which can be applied along the entire corridor. Greek representatives were entrusted with drawing up a new agreement which will be adjusted to the policy of every railway company and take into account objections presented at the meeting. The draft agreement will be discussed at the next meeting of the companies' commercial services, scheduled to take place in Istanbul on April 23. The agreement should be signed by the general directors of all railways along Corridor 10 in Athens on May 22. It has also been agreed that every company should make effort to reduce delays on borders so that transport along the entire corridor does not last longer than 40 hours. (hina) rml