DC - CROATIA SHOULD PROCLAIM ECONOMIC ZONE IN ADRIATIC

ZAGREB, Aug 20 (Hina) - Croatia should proclaim an economic zone in the Adriatic, if possible with a consensus in parliament, and inform Slovenia about it through a diplomatic note, the president of the Democratic Centre (DC) party, Mate Granic, told reporters on Wednesday. #L# Granic feels that the EU and Italy should be informed about this first, and that only harsh opposition from the EU, which he said was not probable, could be reason for delaying the decision to proclaim the economic belt. Speaking about the bankruptcy of Rijeka's Viktor Lenac shipyard, Granic said the shipyard was a doomed project which the government was maintaining on life support for pre-electoral reasons. "It is evident that the price of such behaviour will exceed US$150 million," said Granic. Party officials estimate Croatia's foreign debt is alarming, since the government has lost all control over the increase of the country's foreign debt which has reached almost US$20 billion. This is partly the result of the pre-election time and partly due to the failed economic policy of the incumbent government, Granic said. It is high time that parliament passes a law under which the government would ask parliament's approval for incurring big debts or for issuing government guarantees, Granic said. (hina) lml