CRO ECONOMY MINISTER AND US AMBASSADOR DISCUSS CRO'S JOINING WTO

ZAGREB, March 17 (Hina) - Croatian Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic and US Ambassador to Zagreb William Montgomery on Friday discussed further US support to Croatia's endeavours to access the World Trade Organisation, the Economy Ministry reported. Membership in the WTO was one of the Croatian Government's priorities, and precedes other economic activities, particularly negotiations for Croatia's membership at the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), the two said during the talks. As the only obstacle to Croatia's membership in the WTO were differing approaches of the United States and the European Union to Croatia's concession offer for audio and visual services, Fizulic asked the American side to try and resolve the issue with the EU in direct contacts, and so enable Croatia to join the WTO. Fizulic and Montgomery also discussed the organisation of Croatia's presenting its economy in the US, on which occasion the Croatian Economy Minister would visit several towns in the US and hold a number of lectures about the new Government's policies, especially about possibilities of investing into Croatia. (hina) lml