AUSTRIA AND CROATIA TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC COOPERATION

( Editorial: --> 6217 ) ZAGREB, Dec 5 (Hina) - Croatia and Austria intend to promote economic cooperation, Croatian and Austrian economy ministers, Nenad Porges, and Johannes Farnleitner said in Zagreb on Friday. Austria is Croatia's fourth trade partner, after Italy, Germany and Slovenia. We are very satisfied with economic relations between Croatia and Austria, Farnleitner said after talks with Porges, adding that there was still great potential for cooperation. The two ministers spoke about joint investments and cooperation in big infrastructure projects in power supply, road construction and railroad reconstruction. Farnleitner, who is also the Austrian Tourism Minister, said that Austria and Croatia had big joint projects in tourism. The two ministers especially discussed relations between Croatia and the European Union after Austria takes over chairmanship over the EU next year. Porges said 1998 was a crucial year for integrating Croatia into the new European economic architecture, and he had pointed out Croatia's ambition of possibly skipping the phase of cooperation agreement with the EU and discussing the possibility of an accession agreement. Porges expects certain projects he had discussed with Farnleitner to be completed by the end of January when Croatia's economy week is to be held in Austria. (hina) lm mm 051839 MET dec 97