ECONOMY MINISTRY: WE ABIDE BY HOUSTON PROTOCOL

ZAGREB, July 29 (Hina) - In response to discussions on the US company Enron and its potential arrival on the Croatian power market, the Croatian Economy Ministry on Saturday issued a statement saying Croatian negotiators and the Ministry would abide by their signatures on a protocol signed by US and Croatian negotiators in Houston in May this year. "As regards the alleged guilt of the Croatian side, which is accused of not respecting the signed agreements, which, as the US side says, puts Croatia in an unfavourable position toward foreign investors, one should ask which side is actually not abiding by the signed protocol," the statement read. The statement further reads that Croatian officials, unlike Enron's negotiators, are abiding by the principle that the two sides should not give any statements while negotiations are underway. "Also, Croatian officials are not giving any interviews to the media, which is what the other side has been doing. The HEP (Croatian Power Industry) does not request more than what has been signed in the Protocol and the future will show who was wrong and who was right," the statement read. (hina) rml