GATT/AIR/UNNUMBERED 12 FEBRUARY 1993

SUBJECT: ACCESSION OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

AT THEIR FORTY-EIGHTH SESSION IN DECEMBER 1992, THE CONTRACTING PARTIES AGREED THAT THE CZECH REPUBLIC SHOULD ACCEDE TO THE GENERAL AGREEMENT, PURSUANT TO ARTICLE XXXIII, UNDER THE SAME TERMS AS THOSE PREVIOUSLY APPLIED BY THE FORMER CZECH AND SLOVAK FEDERAL REPUBLIC, WITHOUT CARRYING OUT NEGOTIATIONS. THE CONTRACTING PARTIES ALSO DECIDED TO INVITE THE SECRETARIAT TO PREPARE A DRAFT PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION FOR THE CZECH REPUBLIC, AS WELL AS THE CORRESPONDING DRAFT DECISION, WHICH WOULD BE SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL BY THE COUNCIL AT ITS FIRST MEETING IN 1993 (SR.48/3, PAGES 2-4)

AT ITS MEETING ON 9-10 FEBRUARY 1993 THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE TERMS OF THE DRAFT PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION PREPARED BY THE SECRETARIAT (C/W/725, PAGES 3-5). THE COUNCIL ALSO APPROVED THE TEXT OF THE DRAFT DECISION FOR THE ACCESSION OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC (C/W/725, PAGE 2) AND AGREED THAT THE DECISION SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO A VOTE.

MANY REPRESENTATIVES ATTENDING THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL REGISTERED

..... THEIR VOTES ON BEHALF OF THEIR GOVERNMENTS. A COPY OF THE DRAFT PROTOCOL ..... OF ACCESSION (C/W/725) TOGETHER WITH A BALLOT PAPER ARE HEREWITH

DISTRIBUTED TO CONTRACTING PARTIES WHICH WERE NOT ABLE TO CAST THEIR VOTES AT THE COUNCIL MEETING.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE XXXIII, THE DECISION IS ADOPTED IF TWO THIRDS (I.E., SEVENTY-ONE) OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES CAST AFFIRMATIVE VOTES. THE RESULT OF THE VOTE WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND THE PROTOCOL FOR THE ACCESSION OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC WILL BE OPEN FOR SIGNATURE AS SOON AS THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF AFFIRMATIVE VOTES HAS BEEN RECEIVED. IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS PARAGRAPH 7, THE PROTOCOL WILL ENTER INTO FORCE AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC WILL BECOME A CONTRACTING PARTY ON THE THIRTIETH DAY AFTER ITS ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROTOCOL.

CONTRACTING PARTIES ARE THEREFORE REQUESTED TO CAST THEIR VOTE ON THE DECISION AND TO CABLE OR TELEX THEIR REPLY, OR TO RETURN THE COMPLETED BALLOT PAPER IN TIME TO BE RECEIVED BY THE SECRETARIAT NOT LATER THAN 12 MARCH 1993.

A. DUNKEL

93-0201