RACAN HOLDS TALKS WITH US SECRETARY OF TREASURY

WASHINGTON, Aug 9 (Hina) - The United States confirms its interest in developing trade and other business relations with Croatia and is ready to support talks between Zagreb and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said after his talks with US Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers in Washington on Tuesday. #L# In continuation of their visit to the United States, Prime Minister Racan and President Stipe Mesic had separate schedules. Mesic met Sanford Ungar, director of the Voice of America radio station, where he gave interviews on the political situation in Croatia and the region for programmes in Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian and Albanian. The same topic was discussed during his visit to the national Foundation for Democracy, International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute. Prime Minister Racan held a series of meetings, including those with the US Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers and IMF and World Bank representatives. Racan informed Summers about the plan and wish of the Croatian government to make the country a safe investment area. The two sides also discussed the expansion of cooperation between their respective banks. A precondition for increasing investments is the reduction of credit insurance premiums for which the US side expressed support. "The United States will support Croatia's talks on continuing cooperation with the IMF and World Bank," Racan said. He announced that a delegation including Croatian government officials and business people would hold more concrete talks on the continuation of US-Croatia cooperation in Washington in September. (hina) rml