NBH BECOMES MEMBER OF BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS

ZAGREB, June 9 (Hina) - The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) admitted the National Bank of Croatia (NBH) as a full member of this international financial institution at a General Assembly session in Basel, Switzerland, on Monday. Croatia's central bank gained full membership in "the bank of central banks" by purchasing ten shares from special BIS issue, the NBH said in a statement. The purchase will not predetermine the NBH's rights in an anticipated division of 8,000 shares and about 600 million dollars worth of deposits in gold and foreign currency owned by the central bank of former Yugoslavia, the statement added. Also admitted at Monday's session were the central banks of Slovenia and Macedonia, while the admission of Bosnia-Herzegovina's central bank was delayed because of its current organisational and personnel problems. The central bank of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprising Serbia and Montenegro, was not offered membership because of its unreadiness to cooperate on a negotiated division of the former National Bank of Yugoslavia's assets in the BIS. The admission of the National Bank of Croatia to the Bank for International Settlements finalised the process of Croatia's admission to the most important international financial institutions, the statement concluded. (hina) vm mm 091403 MET jun 97