Free trade
Sofia Echo, Bulgaria
Free trade
19 December 2005
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. The heads of the national chambers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Cyprus, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and Turkey took part in the meeting. BCCI chairman Bozhidar Bozhinov made proposals related to regional priorities in cohesion policy, financing activities at the regional and local level, management and monitoring of financing from the EU facilities, and preparation of companies for application of the public-private partnership principle.