WASHINGTON, April 15 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Slavko Linic held talks in Washington on Monday with representatives of the United States administration about the possible participation of the U.S. and its companies in
Croatian energy projects.
WASHINGTON, April 15 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Slavko
Linic held talks in Washington on Monday with representatives of
the United States administration about the possible participation
of the U.S. and its companies in Croatian energy projects. #L#
Over the weekend, Linic attended the spring conferences of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, while on
Monday he discussed bolstering the U.S.-Croatia cooperation with
delegations of the U.S. Department of Energy, Chamber of Commerce,
and the U.S. Trade Development Agency (USTDA).
"The Americans want free transit for oil and gas and more transport
routes, so that neither terrorism, nor war, nor natural disasters
can stop energy courses because that would endanger the future and
the development of the country," Linic told Hina over the
telephone.
He added the Americans were aware of the necessity of sustainable
development and had the know-how, experience, and will to invest
also in environmental protection.
Linic said the U.S. and Croatia could find a common interest in the
building of oil and gas pipelines in Croatia, the development of
Croatian oil giant INA's refineries, and the building of new energy
facilities, especially a new gas thermoelectric power plant.
He recalled the USTDA was already working on a project of an oil
pipeline from Romania's Constanta on the Black Sea to Croatia's
Omisalj.
Linic stressed that in talks with U.S. government officials and
businessmen, including those from the IMF and the World Bank, he
encountered no indication of resistance at all towards Croatia
after its government did not fully endorse the U.S. military action
in Iraq.
Linic said Croatia was interested in participating in the
reconstruction of Iraq with its construction companies, as well as
in the renewal of the oil industry and the power supply system,
independently or in cooperation with U.S. companies. "This
proposal was well-received".
The U.S. and Croatia are trying to incite direct business
cooperation between their businessmen which would be supported by
the U.S. administration and its agencies and the Croatian Chamber
of Trades and the government's newly formed Investment Stimulation
Agency, said Linic.
He added the IMF delegation commended the economic results Croatia
achieved last and this year so far, as well as the government's
keeping within budgetary limits and the fact that there was no
spending frenzy in pre-election time.
The IMF is satisfied with how the stand-by deal with Croatia is
being implemented and in May will send a delegation to Zagreb to
agree on criteria for the implementation of the deal until the end
of the year, said Linic.
In talks with World Bank representatives, the Croatian delegation
said the government would implement the programmes necessary for
the approval of the second half of the Structural Adjustment Loan
before the election, tentatively scheduled for the autumn, Linic
said, adding Croatia expected the Bank to focus more on bolstering
the private sector.
(hina) ha