WORKS BEGIN ON POWER INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN CROATIA & HUNGARY

( Editorial: --> 7493 ) ZAGREB, May 29 (Hina) - The works on the Croatia-Hungary Interconnection which will link Croatia with the European electric power supply system via Hungary began Friday with the laying of a founding stone in Zerjavinec. The Interconnection covers a 129km transmission line and transformer station system and is worth DM78 million. It enables Croatia to access new electric power markets in north-eastern and north-western Europe. An agreement on the building of the interconnection was signed by Croatia's Electric Utility Company (HEP) and its Hungarian counterpart MvM in 1996. This is a big and important project which covers four Croatian counties and the city of Zagreb, said Ivan Tomasevic, director of HEP's Transmission Sector. The preliminary part of the project has been completed, while the whole project should be completed by autumn next year, he said. According to Milan Bobetko, a member of the HEP Transmission Management, we now have an electric power connection with the whole Europe via Hungary. We have also expanded the power supply market, he said, adding the system would distribute between 500 and 1,000 MW of electric power. Also present at the laying of the founding stone on the occasion of Croatia's Statehood Day, May 30, was the economy minister's assistant for power supply, Roman Nota, who said the government fully endorsed the project's realisation. (hina) ha 291555 MET may 98