ECONOMY MINISTER, BUSINESS DELEGATION MEET VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS

ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Visiting Southeast Asia, Croatia's Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic on Monday held talks with government representatives of Vietnam, the ministry said in a statement. Fizulic is heading a business delegation comprising representatives of many Croatian companies. He proposed to Vietnam cooperation in exploiting and processing oil and gas, the construction of power-supply and other infrastructure objects, and supplying other industry equipment. The Vietnamese officials voiced satisfaction with the visit of a senior Croatian delegation, the first in the last ten years. They expressed interest in establishing both political and economic ties, with special accent on the export of coal, oil, rice, coffee, tropical fruit, footwear, and textile. On the first day of his stay in Vietnam, the Croatian minister held talks with the ministers of trade and industry, and Deputy Prime Minister Ngvyen Manh Cama, who pointed to the possibility of including Croatian companies in Vietnam electrification and industrialisation projects. Cama also stressed the need of signing contracts necessary for future cooperation. Fizulic said Croatia's exporters were interested in entering competition on Vietnam's market with 77 million inhabitants. With annual growth rates exceeding seven percent, the market is developing fast and becoming increasingly interesting for trade and investments. The Croatian business delegation, who end their stay in Southeast Asia on Oct. 30, is also to visit Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. (hina) ha jn