CRO PRESIDENT RECEIVES REPRESENTATIVES OF ITALIAN OIL COMPANIES ( Editorial: --> 8090 )

( Editorial: --> 8090 ) ZAGREB, Nov 4 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Tuesday received delegations of Italian oil companies ENI and AGIP, headed by Directors Franco Bernabe and Giorgio Pesenti respectively, the President's Office said in a statement. The Italian guests and the Director-General of Croatian oil company INA, Davor Stern, informed the President about plans for the exploration and exploitation of natural gas in the Adriatic and the construction of a gas pipeline from Italy via Pula to Karlovac. A total of $1.5 billion would be invested in those projects. Tudjman said that the cooperation between INA and ENI was strengthening economic and already good political relations between the two countries. The meeting also involved Presidential Chief of Staff Hrvoje Sarinic and Chief Adviser on Economic Affairs Pero Jurkovic. (hina) vm 041527 MET nov 97