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North Macedonia
The European Union will give strong support to efforts by the continent's southeastern countries, most of them in the Balkans, to sign a regional free trade deal this year, EU officials said on Monday.
The European Commission has proposed replacing the existing web of bilateral trade agreements in the Balkans with a regional free trade agreement -- a move it says would boost economic prospects. However, the idea has met with opposition in Croatia.
All Balkans countries are headed for European Union membership, but they are taking different roads, and at differing pace.
THE idea of a Balkan General Free Trade Agreement, to replace existing bilateral free trade agreements, received support at an Athens meeting of the Association of Balkan Chambers, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) said on December 12.
Macedonian Minister of Economy Fatmir Besimi and Serbia/Montenegro Minister on International Economic Relations Predrag Ivanovic signed Friday a Free Trade Agreement, which envisages full liberalization of trade between Macedonia and Serbia/Montenegro.
The Macedonian Government has endorsed on Thursday the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Kosovo, although Kosovar side has initiated its implementation a month ago.
