ECONOMY MINISTER ATTENDS EUROPEAN REGIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT

( Editorial: --> 3187 ) ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - On the first day of a two-day summit of central and eastern European countries in Salzburg, organised by the World Economic Forum, Croatian Economy Minister Nenad Porges had a number of working meetings on Tuesday. With his Austrian colleague Hanns Farnleitner, Porges discussed Croatia's relations with the European Union in the light of the Government's return programme, as well as about the possibilities for the resumption of negotiations in the region. In a meeting with World Trade Organisation deputy director-general Chulsa Kim, Croatia's plans for completing the joining procedure by mid-1999 was described as sound and viable, a statement by the Economy Ministry said. With South-Eastern European Cooperation Initiative co-ordinator Erhard Busek, Porges agreed that programmes for the development of small and medium-size enterprises should be boosted and co- operation concerning the Central European Business Forum enhanced. The Forum will take place in late autumn in Zagreb, at the same time as a summit of the Central European Initiative. With his Hungarian and Czech colleagues Szaboles Fazakas and Karel Kuhnl, Porges discussed bilateral economic and trade relations, especially regarding the effects of recent elections in those countries on their respective governments. (Hina) mro /mbr 231916 MET jun 98