CROATIA AND WTO MOVE CLOSER ON INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

( Editorial: --> 4476 ) GENEVA, April 3 (Hina) - The fifth round of bilateral talks on Croatia's reception into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was completed on Friday in Geneva, after a rapprochement with WTO member-countries. Croatia should, if the present dynamics of the negotiations be continued, become a member of the WTO this year, assessed Assistant Economy Minister Neven Mimica, who led the Croatian negotiating team. Mimica said Croatia had offered to the interested parties of the WTO (Japan, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Uruguay, Norway, Australia, Hungary, the European Union, Switzerland, Mexico, the United States, Canada and New Zealand) new propositions for customs and other concessions regarding services, as well as industrial and agricultural products. He said crucial rapprochements had been achieved regarding industries and services, and that the next round of negotiations in June could finalise these negotiations. As for agricultural products, the concrete customs negotiations for specific products had begun as well. EU countries still felt that the existing proposal for concessions in agriculture was insufficient. Multilateral negotiations with the WTO task group for the reception of Croatia are scheduled for autumn. They will include the adjustment of Croatian legislation and other technical issues of WTO membership. Following this, the WTO General Assembly should invite Croatia to sign the reception protocol. (Hina) jn jfk /mb 031957 MET apr 98