REGIONAL COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

CEFTA-2006 TRADE COOPERATION
Sanja Jelisavac, M.Sc.
Research Associate
Institute of International Politics and Economics
Belgrade, Serbia
Mina Zirojević, M.A.
Research Associate
Institute of International Politics and Economics
Belgrade, Serbia
Sanja Jelisavac, M.Sc.
Research Associate
Mina Zirojević, M.A.
Research Associate
CEFTA 2006 AND ECONOMIC CRISES – CASE OF SERBIA 1∗
Abstract
According to the recommendations of the European Union, countries seeking membership
in the Union are encouraged to create free trade zones on their territories. CEFTA-2006
actually has the role of preparing countries for full-fledged membership in the Union.
During the past decade, a long period of instability, international isolation, and economic
turmoil adversely affected living standards of the vast majority of the population of the
region, so Serbia readily waited the signing of this free trade agreement. CEFTA-2006 has
its shortcomings but also has its advantages and we will try, in this article, to specify some
of them.
As a result of the country’s growing integration with regional and world markets, Serbia
has started to feel the effects of the current global economic crisis. The authors analyses
the development of CEFTA-2006 in the new international surroundings and also exploring
the development of cooperation in the SEE region and the future of CEFTA agreement. Live
economic cooperation with their neighbors should bring Serbia and others countries in the
region possibilities to overcome all the obstacles in the coming months.
Key words: CEFTA 2006, Serbia, economic crisis, free trade.
1 ∗
The paper represents the results of authors’ exploration in project: “Serbia and modern world: the perspectives
and consolidation models foreign political, security and economic position of Serbia in contemporary processes
in international community”, financed by Ministry of Science of Republic of Serbia, no. 149902D, during 2006-
2010.
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