SABOR SPEAKER TO VISIT FINLAND AND ESTONIA NEXT WEEK

ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - Croatian national parliament's head, Zlatko Tomcic, on Monday will fly to Finland on an official visit and subsequently to Estonia on a working visit. Sabor Speaker Tomcic, leading a parliamentary delegation, will visit Finland at the invitation of the Finnish parliament's head Riitta Uosukainen. During their two-day stay Croatian parliamentary representatives will be received by Finland's President Tarja Halonen, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioi, and hold meetings with their Finnish colleagues. To date, Zagreb and Helsinki have signed treaties on the mutual stimulation and protection of investments, on the avoidance of double taxation and a contract on the cooperation between the Republic of Croatia and the Nordic Investment Bank about the financial assistance in projects of the joint interest. The trade between these two countries came to 34.5 million dollars in 1999, and Croatian and Finnish officials assessed that the economic cooperation was unsatisfactory. During their visit to Estonia on 19 and 20 October, Croatian MPs will attend a session of the Estonian parliament, and will be received by the parliament (Riigikogu) head, Toomas Savi, Prime Minister Mart Laaru, and Foreign Minister Toomas Hendrik Ilvesom. So far, Zagreb and Tallinn have signed agreements on trade and the economic cooperation, on cultural cooperation and on the revocation of visas this May. The trade between Croatia and this Baltic country was at a modest level of 825,000 dollars in 1999. (hina) ms