PRIME MINISTER RACAN ENDS VISIT TO NORWAY

OSLO, Nov 8 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Thursday afternoon ended a two-day official visit to Norway, during which he met his counterpart Kjelle Magne Bondevik and opened a conference on privatisation and investment possibilities in Croatia. After the conference, which was opened on Thursday, a licence contract on the construction of ships for the transport of liquid gas was signed between Split's shipbuilder Brodosplit and Norway's MOSS Maritime company. Prime Minister Racan was accompanied by Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, Tourism Minister Pave Zupan Ruskovic and Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic. The Croatian ministers informed representatives of Norwegian companies participating in the conference about the potential of Croatia's tourism and the privatisation process, calling on them to increase investments in Croatia. Racan was also received by Norway's King Harald V. The Croatian delegation on Wednesday met members of the Norwegian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and Racan met his Norwegian counterpart. The two prime ministers expressed satisfaction with the quality of the two countries' relations, agreeing there was potential to strengthen them. (hina) rml