CROATIA PRESENTED AT CONFERENCE FOR CREDIT RATINGS

( Editorial: --> 8793 ) LONDON, June 4 (Hina) - Research Director with the Croatian National Bank Vladimir Sonje presented Croatia's monetary policies at a conference on credit rating for transition countries, held in London on June 2 and 3. The Conference, organised by the British Adam Smith Institute, was attended by international credit agencies and many financial institutions from central and eastern Europe. Participants' questions about Croatia mostly addressed the stability of the Croatian currency and the viability of the exchange rate, said Sonje. Sonje emphasised the outstanding results achieved since 1994, which justified a positive assessment of the Croatian economy, based on high and stable economic growth rates. Sonje also discussed two key weaknesses in Croatian economics: very low exports in 1997 and the unfinished process of restructuring the banking system. Sonje noted that the Fitch IBCA agency recently confirmed the investment-level credit rating awarded to Croatia in January 1997. (hina) as dgr 041200 MET jun 98