CORRECTED HNA8986 "CROATIA, IRAN SIGN ACCORD ON AVOIDING..."

ZAGREB, May 20 (Hina) - Please note that HNA8986 "CROATIA, IRAN SIGN ACCORD ON AVOIDING DOUBLE TAXATION" incorrectly says in the second paragraph that Tonino Picula's visit to Iran is the first a Croatian foreign minister makes to that country, instead of the first after an eight-year gap. #L# The corrected item follows: TEHRAN, May 20 (Hina) - Croatia's Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and Iranian Economy and Finance Minister Tahmazab Mazaheri signed in Tehran on Tuesday an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation, which marked the end of Picula's first day in Iran. #L# This is the first official visit by a Croatian foreign minister to Iran in eight years. The change of the regime in Iraq has opened the doors for Iran too, Picula told journalists. He mentioned the possibility that Croatia and Iran jointly participate in certain reconstruction and development programmes in Iraq. Picula was also received by Iran's President Mohammad Khatami, a firm advocate of reforms and opening his Islamic country to the world. It is expected that before the end of his second term of office, Khatami will pay a return visit to his Croatian counterpart Stjepan Mesic. Picula presented Iran's parliamentary president Mehdi Karubi with an invitation from his Croatian counterpart Zlatko Tomcic to visit Croatia. Karubi accepted the invitation. According to announcements, the visit could take place towards the end of the year. "We parliamentarians will contribute to the promotion and strengthening of bilateral ties in all fields of cooperation," Karubi said. On Wednesday Picula will hold a lecture at the institute for international relations and meet with Roads and Transport Minister Ahmad Khorram, which will end his two-day visit to Iran. (hina) ha