CRO ECONOMY MINISTER RECEIVES INDONESIAN DELEGATION

ZAGREB, July 11 (Hina) - Croatian Economy Minister Nenad Porges on Friday received Indonesian Research and Technology Minister B.J. Habibie and associates, the Croatian Economy Ministry said in a statement. During the talks, the Indonesian minister said he was positively impressed with his visit to the northern Adriatic harbour of Rijeka, and Rijeka's shipyards "Viktor Lenac" and "3. Maj", as well as with his visit to the Institute of Naval Engineering and the "Rudjer Boskovic" Institute. Habibie was especially interested for cooperation in the Croatian shipbuilding industry's development and research projects, and also expressed interest for investing in Croatian shipyards. Because of the Rijeka harbour's good transport position and the vicinity of central European countries, Croatia's Economy Minister Porges offered the use of the harbour and the Rijeka free trade zone to companies from Indonesia and other ASEAN countries. Porges and Habibie welcomed and supported oil industry cooperation between Croatia's and Indonesia's oil companies, INA and C.O. Petramina, especially concerning concessions and joint ventures in oil research and extraction in Indonesia. Habibie was especially interested for joint venture-based investing in Croatia's air traffic. It was agreed to continue with concrete negotiations in the near future. Present at today's meeting were also representatives of Croatia's largest enterprises who informed the Indonesian minister about their manufacturing programmes, export achieved on the Indonesian market, and possibilities of increasing export and joint investments. Indonesia was offered to be the partner-country at one of the future Zagreb Autumn Fairs. Croatia's Porges and Indonesia's Habibie concluded that today's meeting opened numerous programmes and that there existed possibilities to increase and deepen various aspects of mutual economic cooperation. (hina) ha 111832 MET jul 97