CROATIA, BAVARIA TO CONTINUE EXCELLENT RELATIONS - CRO PREMIER

ZAGREB, Sept 18 (Hina) - Croatia and Bavaria on Wednesday confirmed in Zagreb their excellent political and economic relations and announced several joint economic projects. Upon arriving in Zagreb, the Bavarian delegation, headed by Bavarian Premier Edmund Stoiber, held talks with a Croatian delegation headed by Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa. The talks were followed by the signing of agreements between the Bavarian Radio and the Croatian Radio Television and agreements on ecological projects between the MBB company and the Croatian City of Samobor, the "Sladorana" company in Zupanja and the Konavle municipality. The talks were useful and cordial, Matesa told reporters, adding that he and Stoiber also discussed the recent Bosnian elections, the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area and the admission of Croatia into European integrations. Matesa appealed to Stoiber to remind all relevant factors that, after the Bosnian elections, there were no obstacles to Croatia's admission into European integrations, particularly the Council of Europe and the PHARE programmes. Stoiber pointed out that Bavaria and Germany had the obligation not only to support Croatia's admission into European integrations, but also towards the 500,000 Croats living and working in Germany, 140,000 of whom live in Bavaria. The most important part of the talks focused on the future development of the currently excellent economic relations between Bavaria and Croatia. New areas of cooperation include road building, telecommunications, the power industry and finances. In 1995, trade between Croatia and Bavaria amounted to 860 million German marks, which is one third of the whole trade between Croatia and Germany. Croatia was politically and economically a stable country, Matesa said and added that it was of absolute interest to both sides that the current pace of mutual investments continued. Also to be signed during the day is a particularly important agreement on the building of a section of the so called Phyrn Road between Krapina, about 40 kilometres north of Zagreb, and the Slovenian border, which should connect Croatia with central Europe. The 500 million German marks-worth agreement should be signed by the Bavarian Walter Ben Construction Company and the Croatian government. Stoiber promised financial support to the project. He thanked Croatia for fulfilling its obligation towards accepting some 100,000 of its refugees from Germany. (hina) ha 181527 MET sep 96