CRO. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OPENS OFFICE IN BELGRADE IN NOVEMBER

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), Nadan Vidosevic, has confirmed the HGK will open its official office in Belgrade early next month. Plans include opening offices in Kotor and Subotica as well. In an interview with Belgrade's news agency Beta on Friday, Vidosevic confirmed he would attend a meeting of chamber of commerce presidents of ex-Yugoslavia's republics in Belgrade on Nov. 5. According to HGK data, Croatia's import from Yugoslavia in this year's first eight months totalled $25 million as against $103 million made in export there. Croatia's principal exporters to Yugoslavia are INA, TDR, "Ericsson-Nikola Tesla", "Podravka" and "Badel-1862". Vidosevic believes a Croatia-Yugoslavia free trade agreement could come into force by the first half of 2002 at the latest. Speaking about the interest of Croatian companies in joining in the privatisation of Yugoslav companies, Vidosevic said "there is no serious company in Croatia which doesn't consider entering Yugoslav companies." In the interview, the HGK president did not deny "emotions and scars dating back to the (1990s) war" were still present, saying this is evident in the dose of psychological reserve towards the Yugoslav market. "The nations in this region, however, cannot allow themselves the luxury of renouncing a better future because of the past," Vidosevic concluded. (hina) ha sb