SIMONOVIC ANNOUNCES A SERIES OF MEETINGS ON ADRIATIC SEA

ZAGREB, Sept 16 (Hina) - Following today's meeting between representatives of Croatian and Slovene foreign ministries on Croatia's intention to widen its jurisdiction in the Adriatic Sea, Croatia will launch a diplomatic initiative to present its position on the matter to EU and Mediterranean countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic told Hina on Tuesday. #L# Simonovic is in charge of the government's group monitoring the EU fishing policy, which has prepared a position paper on this matter. The document was presented to Slovenia at the meeting in Smarjeske Toplice today. Croatia considers environmental protection of the Adriatic important, and in expanding its jurisdiction it will aim to ensure protection of both the fishing stock and the environment. Croatian and Italian groups of experts are due to meet in Rome on Thursday to discuss the widening of jurisdiction in the Adriatic. Croatia will be represented by Mario Nobilo, assistant foreign minister and Simonovic's deputy in the group monitoring the EU fishing policy. Simonovic said that a multilateral meeting of Adriatic countries would be held in Brussels next week on the subject of protection of the Adriatic and expansion of jurisdiction in this sea. The meeting, in which the European Commission has also shown interest, will be held on the margins of a session of the EU committee on fisheries as the final preparatory meeting for a conference on fisheries in the Mediterranean scheduled for November in Venice. Slovenia on Tuesday officially agreed to attend the meeting on a joint strategy for the development and protection of the Adriatic Sea. Italy agreed to it in principle, while Serbia and Montenegro said it was interested. Albania has not yet responded, Simonovic said. (hina) vm