"The two countries do not have a single outstanding issue which suggests that the political relations are excellent," Croatian President Mesic said at a news conference after talks with Papadopoulos and added that from the political point of view there were no obstacles to the promotion of economic relations.
"There is potential and good will and this must be exploited. Cooperation in the economy can be advanced," Mesic said underlining that he came to Cyprus with the president of the Croatian Chamber of the Economy, Nadan Vidosevic, and the director of the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka, Bojan Hlaca.
The two countries' trade in 2005 amounted to 87.98 million US dollars with Croatia's significant export surplus. Croatia's exports amounted to 85.01 million dollars, while imports from Cyprus totaled 2.97 million.
Cypriot President Papadopoulos stressed that Cyprus strongly supported Croatia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, offering his country's experience from the negotiating process.
Mesic informed his Cypriot counterpart of Croatia's way of solving the issues of refuges and restitution of property. During the 1974 conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots some 160,000 Greek Cypriots had to flee their homes. They still have property on the occupied Turkish side of the island so the Cypriot president found this topic very interesting.
The two heads of state also talked about the state of affairs in Southeast Europe and concluded that all problems should be resolved through dialogue.
The Croatian president, who arrived in Cyprus on Wednesday evening, is also scheduled to meet Cypriot Parliament Speaker Demetris Christofias and Nicosia Mayor Elena Mavra and give a talk in the European Institute in Nicosia about Croatia's drawing closer to NATO and the European Union.