CROATIA, ROMANIA HAVE TRADITIONALLY GOOD RELATIONS -- PRESIDENTS

ZAGREB, May 26 (Hina) - Croatia and Romania maintain traditionally good relations at all levels, Romanian and Croatian presidents Ion Iliescu and Stjepan Mesic said in Zagreb Monday. #L# Iliescu began his two-day official reciprocal visit to Croatia with today's talks with his host Mesic. Numerous agreements provide a legal framework for further cooperation. Trade is still modest, but is marking a slight increase, doubling last year, Iliescu said. "Our cooperation is good and improving because we share the same strategic goals -- entry into the EU and NATO -- and because we wish to develop our countries' economies as soon as possible," Mesic said. He stressed that it was important that all countries in the region be oriented towards the EU, since this would enable higher direct investments into Southeast European countries. The two presidents spoke about using the Danube as a sailing route and about oil and gas pipelines, particularly the Druzba Adria project. Croatia and Romania last year signed an agreement on connecting oil and gas pipelines from the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta, via Croatia's Omisalj to Trieste in Italy, which should be a part of the Druzba Adria project. Competent ministers today signed an agreement on cooperation between the two countries' foreign ministries' diplomatic academies, as well as an agreement on river transport. (hina) lml sb