ZAGREB, April 30 (Hina) - Bilateral relations and Croatia's application for entry into the European Union were focal issues of talks between Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and his Austrian counterpart, Benita Ferrero-Waldner,
in Zagreb on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, April 30 (Hina) - Bilateral relations and Croatia's
application for entry into the European Union were focal issues of
talks between Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and his
Austrian counterpart, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, in Zagreb on
Wednesday. #L#
"We agreed that we have achieved headway in many areas, most
prominently in bilateral economic relations," Picula said at a
joint news conference. He stressed Austria was the biggest investor
into Croatia.
As indicators show, in the period from 1993 to 2002, Austria
invested a little less than US$2.3 billion into Croatia.
Austria has always given unconditional support to Croatian
political aspirations, said Picula and expressed hope that the good
cooperation between Croatia and Austria would continue not only on
a bilateral basis, but also within regional associations,
especially Danubian ones.
Croatia applied for full membership of the EU and "we hope to enjoy
Vienna's support (for accession) in the future as well", said the
Croatian minister.
He also voiced hope that remaining outstanding issues between the
two countries, pertaining to agriculture and denationalisation,
would be solved soon.
Ferrero-Waldner said Croatia could count on Austria's full support
on its road to the EU.
Croatia and Austria have excellent economic relations and we shall
try to keep them so in the future, she said and added that her
country's strategic interest was to cooperate with Croatia in
economy, infrastructure and tourism. In this light, the Austrian
minister pointed to the importance of the construction of the
Prague-Linz-Graz-Maribor-Zagreb railway, as well as a road which
would connect the harbours of Trieste, Kopar and Rijeka.
Ferrero-Waldner particularly underlined the importance of
regional cooperation in all areas and thanked the Croatian
government for organising visits of 5,000 Austrians, victims of
last year's great floods, to Croatia free of charge.
(hina) lml sb