CROATIAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN BUDAPEST

BUDAPEST, Feb 3(Hina) - Croatian Parliament President Vladimir Seks on Tuesday arrived in Budapest, where tomorrow he will attend the 16th meeting between the European Parliament president and parliamentary presidents from countries participating in the EU enlargement process.#L# Talking to reporters at Zagreb airport before departing for Budapest, Seks said he would inform the conference that Croatia was interested in speeding up its admission into the EU and voiced confidence that Croatia would win the support of participants. Parliamentary presidents have prepared a joint statement supporting Croatia's admission into the EU, Seks said. The Budapest conference is the first to focus on the enlargement of the EU and the first to which Croatia has been invited. The Sabor president will meet European Parliament President Pat Cox, Hungarian Parliament President Katalin Szili, and several other parliamentary presidents. The conference was first held in March 1995. Since then, it has significantly contributed to the strengthening of inter-parliamentary relations between applicant-countries and the European Parliament as well as to the process of expansion of the EU. The conference will discuss two topics - the EU ahead of enlargement and parliamentary cooperation between the expanded EU and countries of the Stabilisation and Association process. This evening Seks will attend a dinner Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy will give for participants in the conference. (Hina) rml