The Republic of Moldova will take over the rotating presidency of CEFTA 2006 on 1 January 2008. The decision was made on September 28 at the first ministerial meeting of CEFTA’s Joint Committee, which took place in Ohrid, Macedonia. CEFTA 2006 replaced the Central Europe Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), signed in 1992, and the network of bilateral free trade agreements between the members of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. Next year all the CEFTA meetings will take place in Chisinau. Minister of Economy and Trade Igor Dodon stated at the Ohrid summit that Moldova regards the revised agreement as an important accomplishment and an extremely valuable encouragement for all the signatories. According to the minister, CEFTA 2006 offers unique advantages and opportunities by building a platform for progressive dialogue and for a better regulatory environment in the region. The Agreement is also an opportunity to bring down all the useless barriers in the way of free trade, as well as to move forward on the way towards European integration. The participants in the first meeting of CEFTA’s Joint Committee adopted the regulations and procedures for the subcommittees for agriculture, non-tariff and technical barriers, and customs cooperation. The next CEFTA 2006 meeting will bring together heads of government of the member countries in Skopje (Macedonia), on 29 November 2007. CEFTA 2006 is ratified by Moldova, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo. Besides the basic provisions envisaging harmonisation of customs limitations for industrial and agricultural products, the agreement includes comprehensive provisions referring to the sides’ cooperation in such areas as customs administration, government procurement, and protection of intellectual property. CEFTA-membership is said to be an ‘antechamber’ for European integration.