CRO AGRICULTURE MINISTER HOLDS TALKS WITH BELGIAN AMBASSADOR

ZAGREB, Feb 16 (Hina) - Croatia's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bozidar Pankretic on Wednesday received Belgian Ambassador in Zagreb, Luc Liebaut, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement. Ambassador Liebaut informed the Minister of the current economic cooperation between Belgium and Croatia. In 1993 Belgian investors bought "Zagrebacka Pivovara" brewery. and the business of this factory has been assessed as successful so far. The brewery is to be modernised in the coming 3-4 years. Another project of Belgian businessmen in Croatia was the purchase of the factory "Slavonija Slad" in the town of Nova Gradiska. The factory should be also modernised and there is a plan for construction a new malt-house beside this one. The project will need an investment of 30 million German marks. The Government in Brussels also decided to help finance the cultivation of barley in Croatia's war-stricken areas, and first means for this purpose will be earmarked for Lovas and Tovarnik, eastern Croatia. Minister Pankretic expressed satisfaction with Belgian successful investments and told his interlocutor that a new orientation of the Croatian Government will be openness toward new foreign investments, particularly in primary agricultural production. (hina) mm ms