CROATIA AND AUSTRIA SIGN ECONOMIC COOPERATION PROTOCOL

SPLIT, May 18 (Hina) - A two-day session of the Croatian and Austrian Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation ended in Split on Tuesday with the signing of a protocol. The protocol on economic cooperation between the two countries were signed by Croatian Deputy Economy Minister Jasna Boric and general director at the Austrian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Johann Sachs. After the signing, the two expressed satisfaction with the work of the inter-government joint commission which at the session concluded there were still unused possibilities in the two countries' economic cooperation. Austria expressed readiness to assist Croatia in accessing the World Trade Organisation and the European Union. Austria is one of Croatia's most important economic partners. It is the second investor in Croatia. Croatian business people cooperate with some 700 Austrian companies. Boric and Sachs said they had agreed that Croatian economy be presented at a fair in Graz in September, under the organisation of the two countries' chambers of commerce, particularly regarding the possibility of producing car parts in Croatia for the Austrian car industry. Business people from Croatia and Austria will hold several roundtable conferences by the end of the year, to establish possibilities of trade in some branches of the economy. (hina) lml