Zuzul said he was given assurances that Austria would continue to strongly support Croatia. He added there were no outstanding issues between the two friendly countries, and voiced confidence his communication with Plassnik would be like the one he had with her predecessor Benita Ferrero Waldner.
According to a Croatian Foreign Ministry press release, Plassnik said Austria played the leading role in bringing Croatia closer to the EU and continued to advocate that entry should occur soon. She added Austria maintained entry talks would start in early 2005.
Plassnik said cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague was very important and should continue.
According to the press release, Zuzul said during the talks that Croatia was intensively preparing for the start of EU entry talks and asked for Plassnik's support. He informed the Austrian minister about the political situation in Croatia and the upcoming presidential elections.
On Tuesday Zuzul is scheduled to attend the presentation of a new project for Croatia to be financed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The project on the development of corporate social responsibility will be presented at the U.N.'s Vienna headquarters. Zuzul will also deliver a speech and is due to meet UNIDO director general Carlos Magarinos and the director general of the U.N.'s Vienna headquarters, Antonio Mario Costa.