CROATIAN, CZECH, HUNGARIAN BUSINESS PEOPLE DISCUSS COOPERATION

ZAGREB, Sept 16 (Hina) - Croatian business people met their colleagues from the Czech Republic and Hungary in Zagreb on Tuesday as part of the Autumn International Trade Fair to discuss business cooperation and ways of boosting trade. Trade between Croatia and the Czech Republic reached $192.4 million last year, and with Hungary $239 million, they told a press conference after the talks, stressing that the figures were far below the economic potential of those countries. Czech business exhibition director Zdenek Svata said that trade between Croatia and the Czech Republic amounted to more than $101 million in the first half of this year. It was expected to exceed $200 million by year's end, which would be three times more than in 1992, he added. About 30 Czech companies and as many Hungarian were displaying their products at the Zagreb show. Hungarian companies were interested in cooperation in the food and metal industries, electronics, and packaging, while Croatian companies showed interest in the textile and food industries and the ferrous and non-ferrous industries. According to the trade adviser at the Hungarian Embassy, Tibor Suelt, 1,600 Hungarian companies exported to Croatia while 700 imported from Croatia. (hina) vm 161831 MET sep 97