Zurich Insurance Co is the first European insurer to sign on to an agreement to open its books as well as form an international commission to resolve the Holocaust-era claims, US officials said on Thursday.

The agreement was announced in separate statements issued late on Thursday by New York, Florida and an association of state insurance regulators.

``Despite our limited involvement in the insurance market in Europe during the World War II era, we agreed to serve as a catalyst in order to help fashion a speedy and just resolution process,'' Zurich chairman and chief executive Rolf Hueppi said in a separate statement.

Zurich Insurance said US insurance commissioners expect other European insurance companies to join this effort over the next few weeks.

Other European insurershave agreed to the concept of an international commission, but have not yet fully committed to the process as Zurich Insurance has, a New York insurance department spokeswoman said.

Those insurers include Germany's Allianz AG Holding, Italy's Assicurazioni Generali SpA, France's Axa-UAP and Winterthur Insurance Co, which has been acquired by Credit Suisse Group, And Baloise, both of Switzerland.

Holocaust survivors and their families last year filed suit in Manhattan federal court against European insurers, alleging the companies withheld, concealed or converted the cash value and proceeds of policies sold before 1946.

Since the class action was filed, more than 1,500 Holocaust survivors and their heirs have joined the fight to recover money owed to them under insurance contracts.

A total of 16 insurers were named last year in the class action complaint.

In his statement, Florida insurance commissioner Bill Nelson said he planned to turn up the pressure on Allianz AG.

He said a subpoena fordocuments regarding Holocaust victims' claims would be issued to Allianz in coordination with other state insurance commissioners who will be issuing similar subpoenas.

Earlier this year, Florida issued investigative subpoenas to Generali, Italy's biggest insurer.

Zurich's agreement with the United States requires the Swiss insurer to work with an international commission that will help process and settle unpaid claims to Holocaust victims and their heirs.

In addition to paying claims, Zurich has agreed to pay for the commission's work and also will contribute to a humanitarian fund that will pay for claims of insurance companies that are now defunct, the New York insurance department said.

The agreement does not specify how much Zurich will pay. Instead, the commission will determine the amount owed by each insurance company.

As outlined in the agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding, the international commission will be made up of 13 representatives and an appointed chairperson, the NewYork insurance department said in its statement.

The commission, which was first proposed by Sen Alfonse D'Amato, a New York Republican, in February, will work to resolve all claims issues in two years, the New York statement said.

``Yesterday, I announced the historic $1.25 billion settlement with the Swiss banks. Today's commitment from Zurich to expeditiously resolve claims sends a strong message to other insurance companies and will go a long way in getting these outstanding claims paid once and for all," D'Amato said.

``Now that the Swiss banks have made compensation, it is time for the insurance companies to do the same.''

US officials hope the international commission will serve as a mechanism to resolve all the outstanding claims against the European insurers, including the class-action complaint, the New York insurance department said.

Other European insurers named in the class action include France's Axa-UAP, Wiener Allianz Insurance Co of Vienna, Riunione Adriatica DiSicurta of Milan, DerAnker Allgemeine of Vienna, and Gerling Konzern Life Insurance Co, Nordstern Life Insurance Co, Vereinte Insurance Co, Mannheimer Life Insurance Co, Deutscher Ring Life Insurance Co and Victoria Life Insurance Co which has been acquired by Munich Re, all of Germany.