FIRST CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE ECONOMIC FORUM CLOSES

ZAGREB, Nov 21 (Hina) - A three-day economic forum, which gathered more than 700 participants from 16 countries of the Central European Initiative (CEI), closed on Saturday afternoon. The fist economic forum of CEI member-countries gathered high- ranking state officials, representatives of international financial institutions, as well as CEI member-countries' businessmen. A two-day round table on direct foreign investing into CEI member- countries was held as a part of the economic forum, as well as a meeting of chamber of commerce presidents, and several bilateral meetings of CEI economy and trade ministries. The economy and trade ministers issued a common ministerial statement advocating further liberalisation of trade, increase in direct foreign investing, firmer economic connections among member-countries, as well as approaching the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the European Union (EU). Representatives of international organisations told countries in transition that, to attract foreign investments, they had to maintain a real currency, macroeconomic and political stability, guarantee the security of investments. Croatia, who is chairing this year's CEI summit and hosting the first economic forum, used the summit as an opportunity to hold many bilateral meetings, particularly to intensify free trade negotiations with members of the Central European Free Trade Association (CEFTA). (hina) it jn/ha