CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER HOLDS TALKS WITH BRITISH TRADE SECRETARY

LONDON, May 4 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan and a Croatian Government delegation began the second day of their official visit to Great Britain on Thursday with a meeting with the British secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Stephen Byers. A meeting between the Croatian delegation and a British parliament state undersecretary for international development, Georges Folkes, will focus on strengthening economic relations. In the afternoon hours Racan will hold talks with the British foreign and defence secretaries Robin Cook and Geoffrey Hoon. Racan and Cook will issue statements for the press after the meeting. The second day of the visit is scheduled to end with a dinner prepared by the British-Croatian chamber of commerce, with some 140 representatives of renowned British and multinational companies attending. According to Racan, the first day of his visit showed a positive atmosphere in the development of relations between Croatia and Great Britain. Great Britain supports reforms in Croatia and its aspirations for joining the NATO, European Union and the World Trade Organisation, and sees Croatia as a partner which, by adopting European standards, is becoming an example for similar changes in other areas of the Southeast of Europe. Great Britain is interested in strengthening economic relations with Croatia, but the arrival of concrete direct investments will inevitably depend on the legal security of business. (hina) lml