CROATIAN ECONOMY MINISTER MEETS HIS AUSTRIAN COUNTERPART IN VIENNA

VIENNA, Nov 15 (Hina) - Croatian Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic and his Austrian counterpart Martin Bartenstein on Tuesday held talks in Vienna on the furtherance of economic ties between their countries. "This was my first meeting with Minister Fizulic with whom I discussed the promotion of the economic cooperation between Austria and Croatia in the sectors of industry, power, tourism, infrastructure, telecommunications and banking," Minister Bartenstein said. He added that Minister Fizulic had notified him of very ambitious plans for privatisation and that Austrian companies were interested in investing in Croatia, which was expecting the economic growth in the coming years, as this was important both for foreign investors and for Croatian citizens. "Austria offers full support to Croatia's bids to enter European integration processes and we want to see Croatia as soon as possible as a full member of the European Union," the Austrian official said assessing that Zagreb had taken the right path toward the accomplishment of this goal. Minister Fizulic described the talks as useful and constructive. According to him, the most important topic of their meeting was a possibility for a company 'Voest Alpine Stahl Ag' to construct a steelworks in the southern Croatian port of Ploce. This company from Linz has been seeking the best site for the construction of its new plant in Europe several years and Fizulic regards that the port of Ploce will be the right choice for Austrians. The investment will be worth 650 million euro. The value of the annual production is one billion and 200 million of dollars and this can be the most important deal between the two countries. On Wednesday the Croatian minister and his aides are to attend a conference entitled "Investment in Croatia" which Bank Austria is organising. (hina) ms