MOSCOW MOSCOW, Feb 19 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Wednesday afternoon ended his visit to Russia'a central federal district and left Moscow for Zagreb.
MOSCOW, Feb 19 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on
Wednesday afternoon ended his visit to Russia'a central federal
district and left Moscow for Zagreb. #L#
Earlier in the day Mesic held separate talks with Russia's Foreign
Minister Igor Ivanov and Moscow's mayor Yury Lushkov.
Ivanov and Mesic exchanged opinions regarding the Iraqi crisis and
the current situation in the area of the former Yugoslavia. Mesic
informed the minister about the situation in Croatia.
Talks with mayor Lushkov focused on the consolidation of economic
ties and trade.
Accompanying Mesic was Economy Minister Ljubo Jurcic who today also
held separate talks with an assistant to Russia's Transport
Minister, Vyachaslav Ruksha, and the minister for emergency
situations, Sergei Shoygu. The talks focused on the possibilities
of involving Croatian shipyards into a major project aimed at
modernising Russia's merchant fleet, as well as on the settling of
the former Soviet Union's clearing debt to Croatia through mine-
clearing jobs.
Jurcic also on Tuesday night also talks with the director and co-
owner of the Mechel metallurgy company, Igor Zyazin. This company
recently purchased the Sisak Ironworks.
The Croatian minister said that Croatia would not accept the
contract on the purchase of the ironworks until Mechel provided
bank guarantees worth six million euros.
(hina) lml sb