CROATIAN ECONOMY MINISTER INVITED NOKIA TO INVEST IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, March 7 (Hina) - Croatian Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic, who is on a working visit to Finland, on Wednesday invited the world's leading manufacturer in the mobile industry, Nokia, to invest in Croatia. During the visit to Nokia, Minister Fizulic invited company representatives to visit Croatia in the near future and to learn about possibilities of investing in Croatia. Nokia officials expressed interest in political and economic stability in Croatia, the Croatian Economy Ministry said in a statement. Nokia's income last year amounted to over EUR30.3 billion, namely 54 percent more than in 1999. The company employs over 60,000 people world-wide. Fizulic, who is on a visit to Finland between March 5 to 7, also held talks with representatives of the Finnish Association of Industry and Employers and Finnish Foreign Trade Minister Kimm Sasi. Minister Sasi expressed interest in the economic and political situation in Croatia and said Finland supported the expansion of the European Union, adding Croatia enjoyed Finland's full support in its attempt to joint the EU. Fizulic invited Sasi to officially visit Croatia in the near future. (hina) it