FRANCE GIVES CRO FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHO IS BLOCK ITS JOINING WTO

ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - A problem which prevented Croatia's joining the World Trade Organisation could be solved by an agreement on the model of trade of audio-visual products between the European Union and the United States The European Commission, with the consent of France, should take over the role of the main negotiator with the United States in the case of Croatia's joining the WTO, as it was the case with Baltic countries, Croatian Economy Minister Nenad Porges said on Friday when asked to comment on a statement by the French Foreign Ministry reading that France would continue to prevent Croatia's joining the WTO. However, as it was the case with Baltic countries when the European Union and the United States agreed upon an acceptable model of trade of audio-visual services, the European Union is not ready to do the same with Croatia, Porges said. #L# The statement of the French Foreign Ministry reads that France would continue to block Croatia's joining the WTO until Croatia drops the liberalisation of exchange in its audio-visual sector and conforms its choice to approach Europe. However, facts on bilateral negotiations between Croatia and WTO member-countries so far, deny such "one-sided and absolutely false statements", Forges said. Croatia's current offer was drafted in an attempt to achieve compromise between Croatia's European orientation and satisfying a part of commercial interests, which could not be neglected and which are represented by the United States. Croatia clearly wrote in its offer that it would implement everything that was implemented by European Union member countries in its policy on the protection of cultural identity, in line with the overall strategic goal of joining the European Union. After Latvia joined in late 1998, Croatia expressed readiness to accept obligations as well as Latvia, however the United States harshly opposed that. The United States believes that Croatia cannot compare with Baltic countries, for it doesn't have legal and institutional relations with the European Union, Porges said. Croatia's current offer on the organisation of trade of audio- visual products, which is also acceptable for the United States, is undoubtedly oriented towards Europe. The fact that 14-15 European Union member countries were ready to admit Croatia, is a proof of that. France alone presented stands at the very last moment which prevented reaching of consensus within the European Union on Croatia's offer. France demands that Croatia accepts the Baltic model, Porges said. "The most important thing for France is that Croatia, by changing its offer in the direction of the Baltic model, puts the United States in the situation to block Croatia's joining the WTO, and this way to erase the negative image of French standpoints on this issues. This is where French interests stop". "However, the change of the offer would not lead to a solution for the completion of negotiations, it would only confirm that Croatia is left only with freedom and sovereign right to chose which party would block its joining the WTO", Porges said. "It is obvious that Croatia was caught and kept in the field of unsolved global issues which were not solved within the WTO system. The European Union and the United States proved the correctness of their global negotiating positions ahead of the new 'millennium round' as a part of the WTO, and aksed Croatia to play the role of a messenger, leaving it with no chance of solving the existing problem with the European Union and the United States, Porges said. The Croatian Economy Minister stressed that the solution is the agreement between the European Union and the United States, adding that Croatia would adopt every agreement between the two parties. (hina) it jn