The two countries support one another on the road to the EU, which is both Croatia's and Moldova's strategic goal, and they will exchange useful information on that matter, Presidents Mesic and Voronin, who confirmed their views by signing a joint statement, said at a news conference.
With regard to economic cooperation, it was agreed that the two countries' business people should exchange visits to establish closer ties and use cooperation possibilities. There are great possibilities for cooperation in the food-processing and telecommunication industries, as well as in all other industrial branches, the Croatian president said.
President Voronin said he hoped steps would be taken to achieve concrete results and expressed satisfaction with agreements on the avoidance of double taxation and customs issues that were signed today.
Speaking about international terrorism, Mesic and Voronin agreed that this danger should be countered with joint efforts.
Asked about the breakaway region of Transdniester, Moldova's most difficult political problem, Voronin said this problem had to be solved in a peaceful way. Moldova is interested in foreign assistance, especially from European organisations, he said, adding that the Russian Federation and Ukraine too had offered support in solving the problem.
We are optimistic and hope this problem will be solved as soon as possible, Voronin said.
After the break-up of the former Soviet Union, which took most of Moldova from Romania after World War II, the population of this Russian-speaking area became afraid of possible re-unification with Romania and established their own government in Transdniester. In 1992 they seceded to declare the "Republic of Dniester", which has remained internationally unrecognised. A major armed conflict was prevented by Russian forces in 1992.
There are some 1,300 Russian troops in Transdniester today who have the status of peacekeepers or guards of arms depots from the Soviet Union era.