EU AMBASSADOR PER VINTHER OPENS WORKS IN PAKRAC

PAKRAC, March 18 (Hina) - European Union's Ambassador to Croatia on Saturday opened works on construction of the industrial zone in Pakrac (eastern Croatia), worth 4.9 million kuna (US$612,000). The EU has invested 2.6 million kuna (US$325,000) into the project, and the town of Pakrac 2.3 million (US$287,000). Five business people, from Nurenberg, Milano, and three from Croatia, have already reserved half of the zone to open up businesses. At a session of the Pakrac Town Council, held on occasion of the town's day, several agreements were signed about investments of business people in this region, including the one between the "Papuk" wood processing industry and the Austrian company "Wotan". The foreign partners will invest 36 million kuna (US$4.5 million) into the parquet plant in Pakrac, and employ 70 workers. Vinther stressed at the session that the democratic changes and last elections in Croatia opened the gates to the international community, which will help Pakrac, or whose area the EU was preparing new assistance programmes. Pakrac's Mayor Damir Spancic thanked Vinther and other representatives of international organisations which helped the reconstruction of Pakrac. (hina) lml