CROATIA, AUSTRALIA SIGN SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT

ZAGREB, May 13 (Hina) - Croatian Labour and Social Welfare Minister Davorko Vidovic and Australian Ambassador to Croatia Neil Hewitt Francis on Tuesday signed an agreement on social security which regulates pension payments between the two countries. #L# "Negotiations were commenced in 1998 and lasted almost five years due to changes to social security legislation in both countries, but we managed to come up with an excellent agreement," Vidovic stated after the signing ceremony. After the agreement is ratified in both parliaments, it should come into force on January 1, 2004. Vidovic pointed out the agreement was quite significant to the 150,00 Croat emigrants in Australia, some of whom he said would return to Croatia. Ambassador Francis said the agreement would reinforce the very good relations between the two countries. The agreement regulates mutual relations only as far as pensions are concerned because such agreements between European states and transcontinental countries do not contain regulations on medical insurance. According to data of the Croatian Institute for Pension Insurance for February, 304 pensions were paid from Croatia to Australia and 1,219 Australian pensions to Croatia. (hina) sp ha