POSSIBILITIES FOR INVESTMENT IN CROATIA PRESENTED IN PARIS

PARIS/ZAGREB, Oct 11 (Hina) - French business people are interested in investing in Croatia, and those who have set up businesses in that country would like to broaden their business activities. This was reported at a one-day seminar, organised on Wednesday by the French centre for foreign trade. The event, which drew some 70 representatives of famous French banks and firms, was opened by the state secretary for foreign trade, Francois Huwart. After Croatian Deputy Economy Minister Neven Mimica, and the Privatisation Fund Vice President Hrvoje Dusper presented legislative and legal frameworks for business activities in Croatia, directors-general of BNP Dresdner Bank Croatia, Bina Istra and Renault Hrvatska - Dominique Menu, Thibault Beurnier and Jean Michel Sicre respectively - spoke of their positive experiences from Croatia. Mimica told Hina on the phone that during separate talks with State Secretary Huwart, the French side expressed support to Croatia's bids in the process of negotiations between Zagreb and the European Union on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Mimica added that French business people wanted to be acquainted of announced tax relief and other benefits for investments, assessing that they were more favourable than elsewhere in Europe. (hina) jn ms