ZAGREB, Feb 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Cultural Council, a nongovernmentalorganisation gathering intellectuals, politicians, cultural workers,scientists and other public figures, has rejected a proposal by theEuropean Commission to
establish a free trade zone in the WesternBalkans, saying that the proposed zone referred to the area whoseborders largely coincided with those of the former Yugoslavia.
ZAGREB, Feb 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Cultural Council, a
nongovernmental organisation gathering intellectuals, politicians, cultural
workers, scientists and other public figures, has rejected a proposal by the
European Commission to establish a free trade zone in the Western Balkans,
saying that the proposed zone referred to the area whose borders largely
coincided with those of the former Yugoslavia. The Council issued a
statement on Wednesday saying that it advocated peace and stability in
Southeast Europe and the promotion of trade based on bilateral agreements. It
also said that the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) was a suitable
framework for advancing the cooperation. In case CEFTA ceases to exist after
Romania and Bulgaria join the EU, Croatia should be able to independently use
the benefits of its status of an EU candidate, the Council said in a
statement.
The Council, which has some 800 members, warned that accepting the EC
proposal would be an unconstitutional act "seriously jeopardising Croatia's
independence".