CRO HUP MANAGER TALKS WITH ITALY'S CONFINDUSTRIA REP

ZAGREB, Mar 14 (Hina) - The manager of the Croatian Association of Employers (HUP), Zeljko Ivancevic, on Friday visited Rome on the invitation of the Vice-President of the Confederation of Italian Industrialists (CONFINDUSTRIA), Rosalino Orlando, HUP said in a statement. The talks focused on possibilities of developing bilateral relations. There was interest on both sides to initiate several cooperation programmes, the statement said, adding that the Italian side was especially interested in a successful completion of the process of peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area and the investing of Italian capital in its reconstruction and development. Italian tour-operators were also interested in Croatia's tourist facilities, the statement further said. Italian representatives at the Union of European Confederations of Employers and Industrialists announced support to HUP's request to be admitted into this eminent and influential organization, and a successful termination of the admission procedure may be expected in June, the statement said. CONFINDUSTRIA's leadership invited HUP's president Ivica Todoric to visit Rome in early May, in order to sign a cooperation agreement. At CONFINDUSTRIA's invitation, Ivancevic was to visit Vicenza on 20 March, for agreements on a more intensive engagement of Italian financial institutions in the enhancement of the commodity exchange between the two countries, and also to consider possibilities for a stronger inclusion of small and medium-sized Croatian enterprises in cooperation with Italy, the statement concluded. (hina) ha 141255 MET mar 97