CRO INTERIOR MINISTER MEETS CANADIAN BUSINESS PEOPLE

( Editorial: --> 8926 ) OTTAWA/ZAGREB, Oct 16 (Hina) - Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Penic, who is heading a state delegation on a visit to Canada, on Friday met with the leading officials of the Canadian corporation for investment stimulation - ECD. The Canadian representatives expressed readiness to grant Croatia long-term loans for the purchase of firefighting aircraft. A joint delegation of EDC, and the companies Bombardier, Canadair and Bell Helicopter Textron, will visit Croatia in the spring of 1999, in order to investigate the possibilities of production of aircraft parts for Canadian companies. Penic was informed in Bombardier's Montreal headquarters that the Croatian Interior Ministry would be lent a Canadair CL-415 plane in June 1999. The loan for the plane had been secured by the World Bank as part of a project for the protection of forests in Croatia. The Canadian representatives have also offered to lend Croatia one or two Canadair CL-215 planes for the summer season of 1999. Representatives of the Bombardier company will visit Croatia at the end of October to see what needs to be done as regards preparations for the next summer. Minister Penic also met with the Canadian Minister for Citizenship Issues and Immigration, Lucienne Robillard. The two officials exchanged information regarding the prevention of illegal migrations. Robillard agreed that the two countries should start preparations for the signing of a re-admission agreement regulating the return of persons with illegal residence. (hina) rml 161301 MET oct 98