KIEV, June 30 (Hina) - Croatia and Ukraine have good political cooperation but economic cooperation is insufficient, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in Kiev Monday after his talks with his Ukrainian hosts.
KIEV, June 30 (Hina) - Croatia and Ukraine have good political
cooperation but economic cooperation is insufficient, Croatian
Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in Kiev Monday after his talks
with his Ukrainian hosts. #L#
Picula was received by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and
Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko with whom he held a joint news
conference.
Last year the two countries' trade amounted to some US$35 million.
So far, Zagreb and Kiev have signed almost all agreements on
economic cooperation, except a free trade agreement. It will be
concluded when Ukraine becomes a member of the World Trade
Organisation.
Ukraine's Zlenko assessed that the liberalisation of a visa regime
would contribute to the strengthening of the Croatia-Ukraine
economic ties.
Picula said progress would be made in the liberalisation of the visa
regime after the signing of a bilateral agreement on readmission.
He, however, said the Croatian embassy in Kiev would make it
possible for Ukrainians to get visas in an easier manner than it had
been the case so fare.
Picula and his hosts agreed that the two countries had good
cooperation in shipbuilding, construction industry, the
exploitation of gas and oil, and in small and medium-sized
businesses. There are possibilities for the enhancement of
cooperation between the two countries' health institutions, as
well.
Ukrainian officials expressed support to Croatia's efforts to
apply for rotating membership of the UN Security Council.
(hina) ms sb