CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS, INVESTING IN CROATIA TAKES PLACE IN LONDON

LONDON $ LONDON, Oct 6 (Hina) - A conference on business and investing in Croatia at which 90 British businessmen were presented the economic and legal aspects of conducting business with Croatia was held in London on Monday. A Croatian delegation was headed by Finance Minister Borislav Skegro, who spoke about Croatia's present macro-economic picture. He invited British businessmen to establish relations with Croatian partners. According to Barbara Roche, an under-secretary at the British Economy and Industry Ministry, Croatia is a country open to business, a country that does not want to be connected with only a few partner-countries, but wants to establish numerous foreign-trade connections. Croatia's openness should stimulate British businessmen to engage in Croatia, where some 20 British companies are already present, she said. The British government, she added, is currently looking for a promotion agency that would improve British export in Croatia. British companies currently investing in Croatia occupy a significant position, Roche said, adding two British power supply companies (Gec, National Power) plan to invest a billion US dollars in the reconstruction of power plants in Croatia, which would be the biggest single foreign investment in Croatia to date. According to Croatian Economy Minister Nenad Porges, the Ministry of Economy will in the upcoming period work on increasing productivity and stimulating export, by reducing production cost, through government support to exporters, and by making the financial market ensure fresh money to Croatian companies. As regards foreign trade, the government will try to eliminate trade barriers towards Croatia existent in certain economic zones, Porges said. In the afternoon, the conference continued with expert speeches on Croatia's oil and gas industry and Croatia's financial system. (hina) ha 062151 MET oct 97