ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa said on Thursday he was sure France and the United States would resolve their disagreement regarding the liberalisation of audio-visual services, "but not to the detriment of
Croatia's access to the World Trade Organisation (WTO)." The finalisation of the six-year-long process of Croatia's joining the WTO came to a halt after France demanded during negotiations that Croatia agree to provisions according to which audio-visual services of European origin would be treated more favourably. France claims it is necessary to protect and promote European cultural specialities. The U.S. on the other hand demands of countries joining the WTO to open the national market, namely an equal commercial treatment of all countries. Matesa told today's Government session Croatia obviously could not resolve the matter through bilateral agreements because,
ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa said on
Thursday he was sure France and the United States would resolve
their disagreement regarding the liberalisation of audio-visual
services, "but not to the detriment of Croatia's access to the World
Trade Organisation (WTO)."
The finalisation of the six-year-long process of Croatia's joining
the WTO came to a halt after France demanded during negotiations
that Croatia agree to provisions according to which audio-visual
services of European origin would be treated more favourably.
France claims it is necessary to protect and promote European
cultural specialities.
The U.S. on the other hand demands of countries joining the WTO to
open the national market, namely an equal commercial treatment of
all countries.
Matesa told today's Government session Croatia obviously could not
resolve the matter through bilateral agreements because, he said,
it was a matter between the European Union and the U.S.
The Government adopted a report compiled by the delegation
negotiating Croatia's access to the WTO, and obligated the economy
and foreign ministers to undertake and harmonise activities aimed
at finding a solution to the problem.
Premier Matesa said a series of international activities related to
the resolution of the audio-visual services issue had already been
launched.
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman has written to French colleague
Jacques Chirac, Matesa has written to European Commission
president Romano Prodi, Economy Minister Nenad Porges held talks in
Washington with WTO managing director Mike Moore, and Foreign
Minister Mate Granic met numerous counterparts, especially from
the EU.
The entire Croatian diplomacy is working on the promotion of
Croatia's all-round interests, and we believe the issues will be
resolved, Matesa and Granic said today.
Granic said the EU Council of Ministers will meet on 11 October to
discuss the issue. "Croatia enjoys the full support of all other EU
countries, except France, to be granted full-right membership in
the WTO," he said.
According to Neven Mimica, head of the delegation negotiating
Croatia's access to the WTO, Croatia put forward a compromise
solution for the status of goods of European origin, which was
accepted by all EU countries except France.
France insists on the so called Baltic model, which has recently
been applied to Estonia and Latvia. The model was rejected by the
U.S. on grounds of Croatia's being neither a EU member, nor in any
way institutionally tied with the EU and therefore obligated to
grant preferential status to audio-visual services of European
origin.
Mimica said the France-U.S. dispute had put Albania and Moldova in a
similar situation.
A task force in charge of Croatia's access to the WTO will meet in
Geneva on 12 October at, the Croatian Government believes, its last
session. The WTO Main Council is then expected to decide and adopt
the Croatian Government joining protocol, which would end the six-
year-long joining process.
(hina) ha jn