Mesic said that the protection of minorities, including ethnic Croats, in Hungary was in many aspects above European standards. He supported initiatives aimed at strengthening cross-border cooperation, saying that they were the way to European integration.
One such initiative is the Mura-Drava Euro-Region, which was established a month ago to link Croatian and Hungarian border counties.
The Croatian president said that this model should be expanded to include areas of the two countries away from the border.
Mesic was scheduled to meet Hungarian President Ferenz Madl later in the afternoon at a traditional event, the Day of Croats in Hungary, in the town of Nagykanizsa.