ECONOMIC EXPERTS FINISH THEIR MEETING IN CROATIAN RESIDENT'S OFFICE

ZAGREB, June 10 (Hina) - Priorities in attempts to recover Croatia from the depression are to create more new jobs and to increase export, said Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac after economic experts ended their gathering in President Stjepan Mesic's Office on Saturday. About thirty experts in economics discussed ways to overcome the current economic crisis in the country. Our objective is economic stability including the stability of prices and the economic growth as well as stable macroeconomic conditions, Crkvenac told reporters after the meeting. He added that two different concepts were presented during Saturday's event. A part of scholars were in favour of a monetary policy of development, while the second group advocated the orientation towards strict measures of stabilisation. In the end, most participants endorsed the monetary policy of development, namely a policy of incentives for creating more jobs. The Government's stand is to stimulate development and enhance employment as well as to carry out an economic policy of stabilisation simultaneously, the Finance Minister explained. The President's Office released a statement saying that the gathered scholars considered several issues: links between political changes and ways for going out of the economic crisis, privatisation and restructuring of companies, liquidity, the banking system and monetary policy. The event finished with their recommendations on the starting points for recovery from the economic depression, the statement read. (hina) ms