BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 5376

ZAGREB, July 12 (Hina) - After winning European Union candidate status,Croatia's key goal is to become economically ready and competitive tojoin the EU in 2007, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said on Monday aftermeeting the National Council for Competitiveness. Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said on Monday hiscabinet had clearly defined economic programmes aimed at bringingorder into state finance and raising the level of competitivenessabroad. Croatia will cover most of its deficit in 2005with privatisation revenue, which is expected to amount to fourbillion kuna, Assistant Finance Minister for macroeconomic analysisand planning Ante Zigman said on Monday, adding that it was up to thegovernment to decide on how the revenue would be collected. The real growth of Gross Domestic Product inthis year's first quarter was 4.2 percent, a slowdown in growthdynamics in relation to 4.9 percent in the same period last year,which is in line with offic