RACAN OPENS NEW ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF PLIVA-KRAKOW COMPANY

KRAKOW, Feb 13 (hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan opened a new administration centre of the Pliva-Krakow company in Krakow on Tuesday and expressed a wish that the factory be one of the initiators of economic relations between Croatia and Poland. Racan arrived in a two-day official visit to Poland on Sunday. The Croatian Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with talks with Polish senior officials successfully conducted in Warsaw on Monday. We agreed on integrated Europe, Racan stressed. The Prime Minister on Monday held talks with Polish President Aleksandar Kwasniewski, Prime Minister Jerzy Buzekom and senior officials of the Polish parliament and Chamber of Commerce. We agreed on the improvement of economic relations, Racan said and added that negotiations on a free trade agreement between the two countries should end next month. The Croatian Prime Minister also expressed a wish for the strengthening of joint investments of Zagreb and Warsaw. Premier Racan also expressed a wish that a joint Croatian-Polish business club be established, which would gathered the two countries' most successful businessmen. President of the Pliva Management Board Zeljko Covic said the Croatian company ensured jobs for people in Poland. I believe that the arrival of the Prime Minister is an encouragement to other companies in Croatia and Poland to work together, Covic said. Pliva invested US$8 million in the new building of the factory in Krakow, Covic said and added the company had other investment as well. (hina) it