Skopje — Prime Ministers, ministers and high-level representatives of South Eastern Europe and the international community gathered in Skopje today for the annual CEFTA Summit.
Under the leadership of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – the current Chair in Office of CEFTA – the participants reviewed the events of 2007 that saw the rapid ratification and entry into force of the enlarged and modernized regional free trade agreement now known as CEFTA 2006.
In his welcome address, Prime Minister, Gruevski noted that CEFTA was an important tool to improve overall economic and social well-being. He also highlighted the political benefits of the agreement in accelerating the region’s progress in European integration.
The representatives of the CEFTA Parties warmly welcomed the entry into force of the agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 22 November, which means that all trade in the region is now covered by one single agreement. The Parties highlighted the increasing rates of regional trade and welcomed the small but growing rates of regional investment. They reiterated their strong commitment to implementing the agreement, fully and efficiently.
The Stability Pact’s Deputy Special Co-ordinator Michael Mozur told participants that “CEFTA has become a strong calling card for the region. The dynamic and rapid pace of its negotiation and ratification has been clearly noticed by potential investors from within the region and without.” He also emphasised that CEFTA 2006 was a key element of the overall regional co-operation strategy gradually being put into place by the governments of the region. It complements other elements such as the Energy Community Treaty, the SEE Investment Committee, promoting information and communication technologies and the co-ordinated fight against organised crime and corruption.
Erwan Fouéré, representing the European Commission, confirmed the decision to provide support under the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession to facilitate the implementation of CEFTA 2006. He stressed the complementarity of such regional initiatives to the process of EU accession and urged the governments of the region to maintain the momentum in regional trade integration in the face of political challenges.
Participants thanked the Government of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for its determined chairmanship in 2007. Moldova will take over as Chair in Office of CEFTA in January 2008 and promised an active work programme to ensure that the Parties’ commitments to rapid implementation would be met.
Attached: Declaration of CEFTA 2006 Summit, Skopje 21 November 2007
For further information, please contact Stability Pact's Spokesperson
Mr Georgi Gotev at the SP Secretariat in Brussels
(Tel: +32 2 401 87 25 or press@stabilitypact.org).
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PR2007/027
Declaration of CEFTA 2006 Summit
Skopje, FYRof Macedonia
21 November 2007
Heads of Delegations,
REPRESENTING the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, the Republic of Serbia and the Special Representative of the Secretary General, United Nations Interim Administration Mission on behalf of Kosovo, acting pursuant to UNSC resolution 1244 (1999), meeting at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia;
WELCOMING that CEFTA 2006 will be in force for all Signatory Parties as of 22 November 2007;
EXPECTING that consistent fulfilment of responsibilities under CEFTA 2006 will open a new era in our relations;
RECOGNIZING the important contribution that CEFTA 2006 can make to economic growth and employment in the region by strengthening regional co-operation and its Parties’ multilateral trade relations, thereby further accelerating the process of European integration;
CONVINCED that CEFTA 2006, effectively implemented, will, as in the past, constitute an excellent framework for CEFTA Parties to prepare for EU accession, in accordance with the Thessaloniki Agenda and Declaration of June 2003;
CONFIRMING our readiness and willingness to assume responsibility for full, efficient and effective implementation of CEFTA 2006,
INSTRUCT our administrations to take the necessary steps to implement rapidly the decisions taken at the first meeting of the Joint Committee of CEFTA 2006 in Ohrid on 28 September 2007 and thereby facilitate the efficient and effective operation of the Agreement without delay.
…………………….
In addition, we Heads of Delegations,
INSTRUCT our administrations to:
IMPLEMENT fully and efficiently the provisions stipulated in CEFTA 2006;
ENSURE that any disputes that might arise in the implementation of CEFTA 2006 are dealt with transparently and swiftly and in accordance with the procedures set out in the Agreement;
CREATE the necessary mechanisms to ensure an on-going dialogue with representatives of the business community regarding the implementation of the Agreement;
ENSURE that policies concerning trade and investment are mutually reinforcing by making the best possible use of the link between CEFTA 2006 and the SEE Investment Committee;
INITIATE and maintain close co-operation concerning trade-related policies between CEFTA 2006 and the newly established Regional Co-operation Council; and, thereby,
CONTINUE to contribute to the political stability, economic development and good neighbourly relations of all the Parties.
……………………..
We Heads of Delegations,
RECOGNIZE the important role played by the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe in initiating and supporting the process of regional co-operation for which we now assume ownership;
APPRECIATE the strong and consistent support of the European Commission and donor countries;
THANK the Government of the Republic of Macedonia for its determined efforts as Chair in Office of CEFTA in 2007; and
LOOK forward to realising the benefits of liberalising trade and stimulating investment in the region under the Chair of the Republic of Moldova in 2008.
Adopted in Skopje on the 21st of November 2007
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