CROATIAN, ITALIAN STATE OFFICIALS DISCUSS ECONOMIC COOPERATION

MODENA, May 5 (Hina) - Although Italy is Croatia's second most important foreign trade partner, with annual trade amounting to more than US$2.3 billion, the two countries have the potential and are willing to intensify their cooperation, Italian Foreign Trade Minister Piero Fassino and Croatia's Economy Minister Nenad Porges said following their talks in Modena on Wednesday. Italy gives full support to Croatia's speedy integration into European and other multilateral institutions and hopes Croatia will very soon become a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), said Fassino. The Italian government is ready to support investments of Italian business people in Croatia and is interested in seeing Italian companies participate in the planned privatisation of Croatian companies, he added. Croatia's Porges said talks had also tackled measures to stimulate Central European Free Trade Agreement's (CEFTA) member-countries, which are waiting to enter the European Union, to continue talks with Croatia on a free trade agreement. Porges also announced the establishment of an Italian-Croatian chamber of economy. Following today's talks between the Italian and Croatian state officials, a meeting of Croatian and Italian business people took place. (hina) jn rml