ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - During his first visit to Croatia, the World Bank's new executive director for Croatia, Ed Melkert, held talks with Prime Minister Ivica Racan, Finance Minister Mate Crkvenac and his deputy Damir Kustrak, the
government's public relations office said in a statement on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - During his first visit to Croatia, the World
Bank's new executive director for Croatia, Ed Melkert, held talks
with Prime Minister Ivica Racan, Finance Minister Mate Crkvenac and
his deputy Damir Kustrak, the government's public relations office
said in a statement on Wednesday. #L#
Racan told Melkert Croatia and its citizen appreciated the
cooperation with the World Bank very much.
Melkert supported Croatia's reforms and stressed the bank would
continue to assist Croatia, which, as he said, had achieved good
macroeconomic results so far.
During talks with the finance minister and his assistant, the World
Bank official positively assessed Croatia's macroeconomic
results, particularly the relatively high economic growth, the low
inflation and the reduced budgetary deficit.
According to Minister Crkvenac, Croatia's cooperation with the
World Bank is very good and useful for Croatia. He attached
particular importance to the latest projects -- organising
cadastral books and land registers, reforming the pension system,
and introducing credit lines for structural adjustments.
The minister said Croatia's economic priorities in 2003 included
further reducing the budgetary deficit, maintaining the high
economic growth which will enable increasing employment,
implementing reforms and privatisation, the government's
statement said.
(hina) it sb