COOPERATION BETWEEN CROATIA, EBRD IS EXCELLENT - MATESA

ZAGREB, Sept 5 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa and vice- premier Borislav Skegro on Thursday held talks in Zagreb with members of the Committee of Executive Managers of the European bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) who are visiting Croatia. After the talks Matesa said that EBRD was one of the world's most respectable financial institutions, which was included in the Croatian economic and financial system since the very beginning of the creation of the Croatian state. Matesa stressed that relations between Croatia and EBRD were excellent, which was corroborated by the successful privatization of Croatia's leading pharmaceutical company "Pliva", credit approval and EBRD's participation in the reorganization of banks. EBRD executive manager for Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia Peter Bod also pointed out the good cooperation and expressed hope that EBRD would also help in the modernization of the public sector. Manager of the team for Romania, Moldavia, Croatia and Bosnia- Herzegovina Josue Tanaka said that, on the model of cooperation with "Pliva", EBRD had close relations with numerous other Croatian enterprises, such as chocolate factory "Kras" and food-processing industry "Podravka". (hina) ha jn 051638 MET sep 96