HEP, USAID SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

ZAGREB, May 6 (Hina) - The Croatian power supply company (HEP) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding on technical cooperation which will determine means of technical assistance in creating an open, efficient, sustainable and secure power market in Croatia, in accordance with the Croatian Strategy for Energy Supply Development. #L# The HEP and the USAID today also signed an annex to a memorandum of understanding from 2001, setting up a new deadline for the completion of reconstruction projects in power distribution networks in areas of special state concern. The networks were destroyed during the Homeland War. The deadline to complete 35 projects in the war-torn areas has been moved up from late April to October 30. The projects will secure regular supply of electricity to 11 municipalities, i.e. 80 villages with a total of 26,000 residents. The annex extends the validity of the 2001 memorandum so that extensive reconstruction projects in Sisak-Moslavina and Karlovac counties could be completed. Apart from these two counties, the USAID has so far co-financed reconstruction projects in Lika-Senj, Zadar and Sibenik-Knin counties with US$6 million. (hina) lml sb