Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH Ermina Salkičević-Dizdarević opened CEFTA Strategic meeting

March 19, 2013 – Fifth CEFTA Strategic meeting was held today in Sarajevo within the BiH Chairmanship of the CEFTA 2006 Agreement in 2013. The meeting was opened by Mrs. Ermina Salkičević-Dizdarević, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim of the meeting was to resolve outstanding issues and to timely discuss strategically important issues for the future implementation of the Agreement

One of today's subjects was the involvement of the CEFTA structures in programming and implementation of the SEE 2020 Strategy, so called Pillar 1 – integral growth, the SEE 2020 Strategy, which includes trade and investment. Drafting a document of integral growth and action plan are the first task in this process.

The CEFTA 2006 Parties will consider the issues of CEFTA Secretariat functioning after 2014, signing of Additional Protocol in relation to a new agreement depositary, bearing in mind that the new depositary after Croatia joins the EU will be Albania; questions relating to notification of state aid schemes in accordance with Article 21 of the Agreement, and other related issues.

The CEFTA Strategic meeting will be followed by a joint CEFTA meeting of deputy ministers and the SEE Investment Committee (SEEIC) organized by RCC (Regional Cooperation Council) to discuss the programming of the SEE 2020 Strategy. The meeting will be attended by representatives of all CEFTA 2006 Parties and representatives of the Secretariat of the CEFTA 2006.