SLOVENIA TO HOST CONFERENCE ON REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION

( Editorial: --> 1087 ) ZAGREB, Sept 17 (Hina) - An international conference on the European Union and cross-border and regional economic cooperation will be held in Portoroz, Slovenia, on September 18 and 19. The conference was initiated by the Catholic University in Leuven, and with support from the Institute for European Studies and the EU's European Commission. The meeting will pay special attention to cooperation between the northern Adriatic ports of Trieste (Italy), Koper (Slovenia) and Rijeka (Croatia), the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) said on Thursday. The HGK is organising the Croatian delegation's preparations at the meeting, which will be headed by HGK president Nadan Vidosevic. Along with the Croatian, Italian and Slovene guests, also invited to the conference have been representatives from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Switzerland as well as representatives from various international organisations such as the Central European Initiative (CEI), Alpe Adria and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). All participants will present their experience and opinions regarding regional cooperation. By participating in the conference, Croatia shows its great interest in the activities within the EU countries and the countries of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), as well as in cooperation with Mediterranean, western and central European states, to whose geo-political circle it belongs. (hina) jn rml /mbr 171640 MET sep 98