Will take measures further to improve conditions for the expansion of contacts between representatives of official bodies, of the different organisations, enter- prises, firms and banks concerned with foreign trade, in particular, where useful, between sellers and users of products and services, for the purpose of studying commercial possibilities, concluding contracts, ensuring their implementation and providing after-sales services;

Will encourage organisations, enterprises and firms concerned with foreign trade to take measures to accelerate the conduct of business negotiations;

Will further take measures aimed at improving working conditions of repre- sentatives of foreign organisations, enterprises, firms and banks concerned with external trade, particularly as follows;

by providing the necessary information, including information on legislation and procedures relating to the establishment and operation of permanent representation by the above mentioned bodies;

by examining as favourably as possible requests for the establishment of permanent representation and of offices for this purpose, including, where appropriate, the opening of joint offices by two or more firms;

by encouraging the provision, on conditions as favourable as possible and equal for all representatives of the above-mentioned bodies, of hotel accommodation, means of communication, and of other facilities normally required by them, as well as of suitable business and residential premises for purposes of permanent representation;

Recognise the importance of such measures to encourage greater partici- pation by small and medium sized firms in trade between participating States.

Economic and commercial information

The participating States,

Conscious of the growing rôle of economic and commercial information in the development of international trade,

Considering that economic information should be of such a nature as to allow adequate market analysis and to permit the preparation of medium and long term forecasts, thus contributing to the establishment of a continuing flow of trade and a better utilisation of commercial possibilities,

Expressing their readiness to improve the quality and increase the quantity and supply of economic and relevant administrative information,

Considering that the value of statistical information on the international level depends to a considerable extent on the possibility of its comparability,

Will promote the publication and dissemination of economic and commercial information at regular intervals and as quickly as possible, in particular:

statistics concerning production, national income, budget, consumption and productivity;

foreign trade statistics drawn up on the basis of comparable classification including breakdown by product with indication of volume and value, as well as country of origin or destination;

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