PREMIER INAUGURATES RECONSTRUCTION OF HEALTH-RECREATION CENTRE

LIPIK, Dec 10 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa and parliament vice president Jadranka Kosor on Friday unveiled in Lipik, 100km east of Zagreb, a plaque reading "To Remember", thus marking the beginning of reconstruction of a popular local health and recreation centre. The DM120 million-worth reconstruction will be carried out in two stages, of which the first will include the DM60 million-worth reconstruction of Lipik Hotel, the town's congress centre, a swimming-recreation-sports complex, and a protected park. Addressing a session of the Consortium for the Reconstruction of Lipik, Premier Matesa said the reconstruction of the health and recreation centre "is not the reconstruction of something that already existed, but a new development concept. We support a development concept of this kind. It is part of the Tourism Ministry's overall strategy which refers to tourism in the continental parts of Croatia." Continental tourism is insufficiently discussed, the premier said, pointing out its offer was of the same value as that of coastal tourism, and in some segments, such as Lipik prior to the Serb aggression on Croatia earlier this decade, even better than in some other much-touted Croatian destinations. During the session, a representative of German company MBB, the strategic partner in the reconstruction of Lipik, said the reconstruction should elevate the Lipik Health and Recreation Centre to the European level at which it will be able to compete with similar centres around Europe. (hina) ha mm