MEETING OF DANUBIAN COUNTRIES STARTS IN VIENNA

VIENNA, Dec 9 (Hina) - A two-day international conference of Danubian countries, which gathered more than 400 participants, started in Vienna's Austria Centre on Thursday. Croatia took over the chairmanship of the Working community of Danubian countries in October this year. "Promoting its Danubian orientation Croatia complements its membership in the community of Central European and Mediterranean countries. With its constructive attitude, Croatia wants to stress the importance of the Danube and the Danubian region in its international activities", said Croatia's Ambassador to Austria, Ivan Ilic, addressing the conference. Trade with Danubian countries, including some of Croatia's leading trade partners (Germany, Austria, Hungary), accounts for 30 per cent of the country's overall foreign trade, said Ilic. Ilic announced that the Working community would hold for the first time an economic forum in Osijek on October 3 and 4, 2000, as part of activities marking the community's 10th anniversary. The purpose of the Vienna conference is the promotion of joint interests, especially all forms of economic cooperation, and facilitating the integration of Danubian countries into the European Union by strengthening cooperation. The event, held under the title "The Perspectives of Business and Cooperation in the Field of Development and Industry Research", was organised by the International Vienna Council in collaboration with the Institute for the Danube region and central Europe, Austria's Chamber of Commerce and the Austrian Association of Industries. (hina) rml