CROATIAN ECONOMY MINISTER TALKS TO CHINESE DELEGATION

( Editorial: --> 8309 ) ZAGREB, Oct 14 (Hina) - Croatian Economy Minister Nenad Pogres held talks on Wednesday in Zagreb with a delegation from the Chinese Yunnan province on strengthening economic cooperation between Croatia and the province. The Chinese delegation is headed by a deputy Governor of Yunnan, Li Hanbai. Minister Porges stressed that there are series of unused possibilities for strengthening the economic cooperation between Croatia and China. Total commodity exchange between the two countries in 1997 was a mere US$76 million. Possible areas of cooperation between Croatia and Yunnan are shipbuilding industry, pharmaceutical, chemical and timber and wood processing industry, Pogres said. Pogres added that China could use Croatia's geographical location and its port and road infrastructure for entry of Chinese goods on the Central and Eastern European markets. The Chinese delegation will stay in Croatia until Sunday and will visit large Croatian companies; Pliva, INA, the port of Rijeka, free zones Skrgljevo and Kukuljanovo and Rijeka's oil refinery. Li Hanbai officially invited Minister Porges to visit Yunnan during the EXPO 99 exhibition to be held in Yunnan. (hina) it/sp 141445 MET oct 98