PORGES PRESENTS CROATIA'S ECONOMIC POTENTIAL AT BLED CONFERENCE

( Vidi vijest: 5543 ) BLED, Slovenia, Oct 24 (Hina) - Croatian Economy Minister Nenad Porges, currently attending a business conference at Bled on growing economic cooperation between Central and Southeastern European countries, presented Croatia's economic potential and government economic policy on Friday. Addressing about 200 participants, Porges said that in the medium term Croatia could expect its export and gross domestic product to grow from the present five percent to more than seven percent a year. Croatia plans to increase the level of investments in the gross domestic product to more than 25 percent, he added. Speaking of the Croatian government's priorities, Porges cited admission to the Central European Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organisation, signing of a cooperation agreement with the European Union and joining NATO's Partnership for Peace programme as the first step towards membership in the EU and NATO. Porges had a number of bilateral meetings, of which the most significant ones were with Slovene government officials. (hina) vm jn 241643 MET oct 97