CRO TOURISM MINISTERS MEETS EBRD OFFICIALS

ZAGREB, July 23 (Hina) - Croatian Tourism Minister Ivan Herak met representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Zagreb on Friday, the Ministry said in a statement. Herak informed his guests about the course of this year's tourist season, stressing positive developments in recent weeks, which reflected mostly in the continual growth of foreign arrivals. The Tourism Minister also pointed to the negative impact of the Kosovo crisis on the country's tourism. The EBRD delegation, which included the newly-elected president for banking in Central Europe, Alain Pilbux, the director of EBRD's constituency including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia, Karoly Soos, Juliet Sjoborg and Andrew Krapotkin, were especially interested in reorganisation and privatisation processes in Croatia's tourism sector. Discussing the matter, Herak presented an idea on the establishment of an agency which would be in charge of managing the portfolio of para-state institutional owners. The EBRD officials expressed strong interest in the establishment of such an agency and offered assistance in its work, the statement said. (hina) rml