COSUN TO PAY DEBT TO BUSINESS PARTNERS

ZAGREB, May 25 (Hina) - Unless the Croatian Government ratifies the new agreement signed last week by the Dutch company Consun, the majority owner of the Virovitica sugar manufacturing company and the Croatian privatisation Fund, debts to the business partners for last year's sugar beet will begin, Virovitica-Podravina County prefect, Djuro Decak, told Hina Tuesday. He attended a meeting of representatives of sugar beet representatives and Consun representative, Branko Salaj, held in Zagreb. Consun owes its business partners US$10 million for last year's beet. According to Decak, the Croatian Government should discuss the new agreement at this week's session, after which the US$2.6million will be activate, that is, the sum Consun had already paid at the account of the Privredna Bank Zagreb. The remainder of the debt should be paid within the next 20 days. participants of Tuesday's meeting asked the Government to expedite the process of ratification, and the farmers to refrain from any activities until the designated date. As a sign of protest, they partially blocked a border crossing towards Hungary, and threatened to completely block the crossing in new actions in case an agreement on the payment of the debt is not reached this week. (hina) lml jn