CROATIAN ECONOMY MINISTER HOLDS TALKS WITH SLOVENE PRIME MINISTER

( Editorial: --> 8542 ) DAVOS, Jan 31 (Hina) - A Croatian delegation which is in Davos, Switzerland, attending the World Economy Forum, held several informal talks on Saturday. Croatian Economy Minister Nenad Porges held talks with the Slovene Prime Minister, Janez Drnovsek, about the current economic relations between the two countries, with an accent on the negotiations on Croatia's accession into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), for which Slovenia's support is important. During talks with a European Commission official, Hans van den Broek, the Croatian delegation discussed conditions and possibilities of expediting negotiations on Croatia's admission into the PHARE programme and on an agreement on joining the European Union. Porges also held talks with the vice-president of the Chinese Samsung corporation, Park Chull Woen, about their investment project in the Croatian port of Rijeka worth US$ 30 million, as well as Samsung's possible involvement in the reconstruction of furnaces in the Sisak iron and steel plant. The Croatian delegation will on Saturday also hold talks with the Assistant State Secretary, Stuart Eizenstat. (hina) lm 311244 MET jan 98