GATT/AIR/3455 22 JUNE 1993

SUBJECT: WORKING PARTY ON THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE

EFTA STATES AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

1. THE FIRST MEETING OF THE WORKING PARTY WILL BE HELD ON 28 JUNE 1993 COMMENCING AT 10 A.M. IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD.

2. COPIES OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EFTA STATES AND THE FORMER CZECH

AND SLOVAK FEDERAL REPUBLIC WERE CIRCULATED WITH DOCUMENT L/7041/ADD.1. FOLLOWING THE DISSOLUTION OF THE CZECH AND SLOVAK FEDERAL REPUBLIC, THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC SIGNED TWO SEPARATE PROTOCOLS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EFTA STATES AND THE SUCCESSOR STATES. THESE PROTOCOLS WERE CIRCULATED WITH DOCUMENT L/7220.

3. THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE WORKING PARTY PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED HAVE BEEN AMENDED AND READ AS FOLLOWS "TO EXAMINE, IN THE LIGHT OF THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT, THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE EFTA STATES AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC, AND TO REPORT TO THE COUNCIL" (L/7247).

4. DELEGATIONS WILL ALSO NOTE THAT NO QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN PUT TO PARTIES CONCERNING THE FORMER EFTA - CZECH AND SLOVAK FEDERAL REPUBLIC AGREEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION IN GATT/AIR/3340, DATED 20 JULY 1992.

5. MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO ALL CONTRACTING PARTIES INDICATING THEIR WISH TO SERVE ON THE WORKING PARTY. CONTRACTING PARTIES WISHING TO SERVE AS MEMBERS AND CONTRACTING PARTIES, ASSOCIATED GOVERNMENTS AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS WISHING TO BE REPRESENTED AS OBSERVERS, ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM ME OF THE NAMES OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

A. DUNKEL

93-1012