CROATIA DOESN'T HAVE STRATEGY OF ADJUSTMENT TO EU & EURO - OFFICIAL

ZAGREB, Apr 27 (Hina) - Croatia does not have a strategy of adjustment to the European Union and the euro, especially in view of competitiveness, the president of Croatia's European Movement, Drazen Kalogjera, said in Zagreb on Tuesday. Kalogjera addressed "Euro, Europe, and Croatia", an international conference taking place at the Zagreb Trade Fair as part of six specialised international fairs. Assessing that import was a question of Croatian economy's survival, Kalogjera warned about some negative indicators in import. In 1998 it totalled US$4.3 billion, while in 1992, a war year, it reached US$4.59 billion. Kalogjera pointed out in 1992 the amount was 30 percent of the gross national product, while in 1998 it accounted for 20 percent. He also added Croatia's economy had not increased competitiveness. Speaking of the euro, the head of the Croatian National Bank's (HNB) research department, Boris Vujcic, said the introduction of the euro is expected to positively affect a speedier restructuring of Croatian economy and competitiveness on both the domestic and foreign markets. The HNB will continue with its policy of a relatively stable rate determined by the supply and demand and will not allow major rate deviations, Vujcic said, and added that for Croatia, the euro was a better reference currency than the German mark. (hina) ha