ZAGREB, June 12 (Hina) - Croatia's agricultural and processing sector will be ready to sign a free trade agreement with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by late this year, Croatian Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bozidar Pankretic
told a press conference after talks with the Yugoslav Agriculture Minister, Sasa Vitosevic, on Tuesday. The two ministers agreed economic cooperation between companies went much further than political decisions which should accelerate the cooperation process. Croatian companies, particularly the manufacturers of food-processing products, showed great interest in the accelerated signing of a free trade agreement between the two countries which should encourage the export of Croatian products to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Pankretic said. Trade between Croatia and Yugoslavia, both overall and agricultural, is constantly increasing. In
ZAGREB, June 12 (Hina) - Croatia's agricultural and processing
sector will be ready to sign a free trade agreement with the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia by late this year, Croatian Agriculture and
Forestry Minister Bozidar Pankretic told a press conference after
talks with the Yugoslav Agriculture Minister, Sasa Vitosevic, on
Tuesday.
The two ministers agreed economic cooperation between companies
went much further than political decisions which should accelerate
the cooperation process.
Croatian companies, particularly the manufacturers of food-
processing products, showed great interest in the accelerated
signing of a free trade agreement between the two countries which
should encourage the export of Croatian products to the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, Pankretic said.
Trade between Croatia and Yugoslavia, both overall and
agricultural, is constantly increasing. In 2000, Croatia realised
a favourable balance of US$77 million, with export of US$107
million, and import of over US$30 million.
The most represented products in export are cigarettes, namely 50
percent of Croatia's overall agricultural export to the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia (over US$16 million). Cigarettes are
followed by beverages, fish and beef meat cans, soups and Vegeta
spice.
Also established today was a commission which will solve issues of
the vegetable production and veterinary.
The two officials also discussed cooperation in border control and
the protection of plants, as well as the solving of issues regarding
forest management and hunting-grounds along the border line.
Vitosevic stressed the Yugoslav Assembly will discuss a package of
laws on privatisation, concessions and the protection of foreign
investments. When asked about a possible building of Croatia's TDR
plant in the northern Yugoslav province of Vojvodina, Vitosevic
said the Yugoslav authority would not oppose foreign investments,
adding it was up to companies to find a filed to invest in.
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