CROATIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH HIS ESTONIAN COUNTERPART

TALLINN, April 7 (Hina) - Bilateral relations and bids to join Euro- Atlantic integration processes were major topics of the talks which Croatian President Stjepan Mesic led with his host in Tallinn, Estonia's head of state Arnold Rueuetel, on Monday. #L# "We respect Croatia's aspirations for coming closer to EuroAtlantic integration processes and support Croatia's admission into the European Union," Estonian President Rueuetel said at a joint news conference. He recalled that his country had already been admitted into NATO and would soon become a member of the EU. The two presidents discussed possibilities for enhancing cooperation in the fields of economy, culture and tourism. So far economic cooperation has been moderate, but there are many areas where it can be improved, the Estonian head of state said. Last year trade between Zagreb and Tallinn amounted to a moderate 1.5 million dollars. President Mesic expressed hope that his country would enter the Union in 2007 and before that the alliance, too. He also pointed to the importance of both political and physical connection between the north and south of Europe, saying that the construction of a motorway from the Baltic region via Warsaw and Budapest towards the Adriatic would facilitate those links. (hina) ms sb