PRIME MINISTER MATESA RECEIVES I.M.F. DELEGATION

( Editorial: --> 2063 ) ZAGREB, March 24 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa on Tuesday held talks in Zagreb with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Present at the meeting were the IMF's European department director Michael Deppler, Mission chief Robert Feldman and permanent representative to Croatia, Gary O'Callaghan, as well as Croatian National Bank Governor Marko Skreb. The Government's Public Relations Office said the IMF supported Croatia's efforts in maintaining macroeconomic stability and economic growth and that its representatives repeated how they were satisfied with macroeconomic parameters realised to date. During the meeting the Croatian side pointed out growth in foreign investment in the Croatian economy, in both trend and volume, as the best indicator of Croatia's economic and political stability. IMF representatives warned of the need for firm measures regarding the deficit of the balance of payments, growing wages in the public sector, as well as of tighter supervision of the banks. They expressed their support for the Croatian Government in initiated reforms and continued privatisation of public companies. (Hina) mm mb /mr 242043 MET mar 98