CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES U.S. DEFENCE SECRETARY

ZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Sunday received US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who had arrived for a short visit to Croatia, the President's Office said in a statement. #L# Rumsfeld said the United States was interested in Croatia's admission to NATO, stressing US support to Croatia on its path to NATO membership. The US defence secretary thanked Croatia for its support in the fight against global terrorism and expressed hope that the Croatian government would consider possibilities of Croatia's involvement in Iraq. Mesic underlined Croatia's role and assistance in the anti-terrorist coalition and said that Croatia would consider possibilities of its involvement in Iraq under UN leadership. The talks also focused on overall cooperation between the two countries, including the presence of American companies in highway construction projects in Croatia. Rumsfeld was accompanied by Ralf Frank, US Ambassador to Croatia; General John Craddock, Senior Military Adviser to the Defence Secretary; Mira Ricardel, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence; Dr William Luti, Deputy Undersecretary of Defence for the Middle East and South Asia; Bryan Whitman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence; Alan Van Egmond, Director of the Department for the Balkans and regional programmes of international security policy; Colonel David Allwine, Military Attache to Croatia; Henry E. Kelley, Desk Officer in the Office of the Defence Secretary; and Anthony Godfrey, First Secretary in the US Embassy in Croatia. Mesic was accompanied by Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic, Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul, Presidential Defence and Military Affairs Adviser Petar Stipetic, Presidential Foreign Policy Adviser Ivica Mastruko, Presidential Home Policy Adviser Igor Dekanic and presidential assistant advisers Tomislav Car and First Lieutenant Robert Baric, the statement said. (Hina) vm