PRESENTATION OF CROATIAN ECONOMY HELD IN PRAGUE

PRAGUE, April 12 (Hina) - The Czech Minister of Industry and Trade, Miroslav Gregr, and Croatia's Economy Minister Nenad Porges opened an event presenting Croatia's economy in Prague on Monday. Eighty-seven Croatian companies are participating in the presentation, to last until April 14. The event was organised by the Croatian Economy Ministry and Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Croatian Embassy in Prague. A seminar, "Croatia-Your Business Partner", will take place within the event, with Croatian business people presenting investment possibilities in Croatia. After the opening ceremony today, Ministers Gregr and Porges discussed the possibility of expanding bilateral cooperation. As areas of business interest the two ministers stressed agriculture, food processing industry and tourism, metallurgy, power production, engineering industry, chemical industry, wood processing, textile and construction material industry as well as the use of Croatian ports and free customs zones. The Czech Republic is among Croatia's first 15 business partners, with annual trade amounting to about US$200 million. The cooperation between the two countries has been satisfactory so far, but it is still below the real potential of the two economies, Gregr and Porges concluded. (hina) jn rml