DONORS' CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION IN CROATIA OPENS

ZAGREB, Sept 25 (Hina) - The Croatian Environment Protection and Urban Development Ministry and the World Bank on Tuesday presented the National Environment Protection Strategy with a plan of priority activities in Croatia for the next five years. The chief priorities in environment protection will be to deal with waste and protect water from pollution, Environment Protection and Urban Development Minister Bozo Kovacevic said at the conference. The conference, taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Zagreb, is attended by numerous representatives of European and world financial institutions, embassies, the Croatian government and non-governmental organisations. Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan stressed the National Environment Protection Strategy was an important document in Croatia's integration process into the European Union. "Every intolerance and terrorism have a national and global level. The same is with attacks on the environment," he said. The Strategy, whose starting point is Croatia's specific characteristics and two climates -- Mediterranean and continental -- will prevent money from dissipating into innumerable projects, and assist with preventing potential dangers for the environment in the times of change and restructuring of the economy, the prime minister asserted. head of the World Bank office in Croatia, Vladimir Skendrovic, said one should begin implementing the strategy as soon as possible so it would not stay just another document. He stressed that the Bank's donations will be more and more directed towards environment protection, while prior priorities were investing into reconstruction. (hina) lml