CROATIA INITIALS TWO NEW INVESTMENT STIMULATION AGREEMENTS

ZAGREB, March 5 (Hina) - Croatia has initialled agreements on the stimulation and protection of investments with Mongolia and Yemen, and exchanged a draft of said agreement with Ethiopia. The agreements were initialled during the third round of negotiations on investment stimulation and protection agreements which the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held in Manesar, India between Feb. 20 and 28, and in which a Croatian Economy Ministry delegation took part. UNCTAD will organise the next negotiating round in the southern Adriatic town of Dubrovnik on April 19-28. The Croatian government has invited 14 countries, including representatives from Baltic countries, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. At the same time, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) will hold a round table on reforms, investments, connections, and economic growth in the Balkans, which should be attended by countries of the region and those participating in the OECD, the Croatian Economy Ministry said on Monday. Croatia negotiated five agreements on the stimulation and protection of investments at a Geneva meeting in January 2000. The second round was held in Japan in mid-2000, when Croatia negotiated seven agreements. To date, Croatia has signed such agreements with some 40 countries. They are important for improving the legal framework necessary to encourage foreign investments in Croatia. (hina) ha