BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4850 HINA Zagreb, 31 December 2002

HR-POLITICS-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4850 HINA Zagreb, 31 December 2002 CROATIAN PRESIDENT SAYS NEW YEAR TO BRING ACCELERATED GROWTHRIJEKA, Dec 31 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic said in Rijeka on Monday an accelerated growth was expected in Croatia next year, which he added had to be followed by investments in production. Mesic visited Croatia's biggest seaport in the northern Adriatic to attend a New Year's concert of the local national theatre's opera orchestra. Earlier in the day he discussed the situation in Croatia and the region with local officials. Mesic said bigger investments in production would ensure more funds for health, education, and culture. He estimated the growth rate should reach five percent and voiced hope "the painful measures the government is introducing will bring improvements in the new year".CROATIA-YUGOSLAVIA COMMISSION FOR BORDER PENINSULA CONVENESZAGREB, Dec 31 (Hina) - A Croatian-Yugoslav commission for the implementation of a protoc