REGIONAL COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

CEFTA-2006 TRADE COOPERATION
Olga Gradiska-Temenugova, Ph.D.
Ss Cyril and Methodius University
Faculty of Economics –Skopje
Macedonia
Daniela Mamucevska, M.Sc.
Ss Cyril and Methodius University
Faculty of Economics –Skopje
Macedonia
REGIONAL COOPERATION – IS IT A FORM OR A REALITY
THE CASE OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Abstract
Nobody can predict how big can be
the gap between the idea and its realization.
KANT
Following the positive effects from CEFTA in the process of integration of the countries
form Central and Eastern Europe within the European Union, the EU decided to offer
the similar arrangements to the countries form the Western Balkan. The main goal of
these arrangements was to increase the economic integration and cooperation among the
countries from the region in order to speed up the process of fulfilling the defined criteria
for their accession to the EU.
In December 2006 the multilateral free trade agreement for the Western Balkan countries
“CEFTA-2006” was created. The purpose of CEFTA-2006 was to establish a free trade
area for goods and services among Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo,
Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, and Serbia. This agreement replaced the 32 bilateral
free trade agreements that were used to regulate the trade exchange of goods within
the Western Balkan zone. Except for goods and services, the agreement should provide
full protection of intellectual property rights, harmonization of their national technical
standards with those of the WTO TBT Agreement, achievement of fair - competition
practices and gradual liberalization of public procurement of the member-states. Up to
2010 the full establishment of free trade zone should be achieved.
Liberalization of trade should increase the competitiveness of the region, increase the
foreign investments and this will positively stimulate the economic growth of the Western
Balkan countries.
This paper analyzes the trade exchange of the Republic of Macedonia with the countries
from the region, and tries to answer weather the CEFTA-2006 has the power to induce the
qualitative changes in the international trade of Macedonian economy.
Key words: trade exchange, CEFTA-2006, Western Balkan countries, regional
cooperation, Republic of Macedonia
INTRODUCTION
Almost two decades, Macedonia has been in the process of transition. This is a long enough
period for summarizing the results of the transition, which, for the sake of the truth, are not
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