CROATIAN-ITALIAN COMMISSION FOR THE ADRIATIC MEETS IN ROME

ZAGREB, Sept 18 (Hina) - The joint Croatian-Italian commission for fisheries and environmental protection in the Adriatic met in Rome on Thursday, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. #L# The Croatian delegation was led by Assistant Foreign Minister Mario Nobilo and Assistant Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ivan Katovic, while the Italian delegation was headed by Vittorio Paolini of the Foreign Ministry's Directorate for Europe. Both delegations included experts from different departments. The discussion was based on a position paper prepared by the Croatian government for a preparatory conference on the fishing policy in the Mediterranean due to take place in Brussels on September 22. The Italian side expressed understanding for legal and scientific documents contained in the position paper, but said that in making any decisions the Croatian parliament should take into account a wider international context, the statement said. The two sides agreed that during preparations for a ministerial conference in Venice in late November and after it, it was necessary to intensify international cooperation of the Adriatic states in implementing measures to protect the Adriatic. In this context, Italy agreed to attend a meeting of all Adriatic states in Brussels on September 23 on the margins of the preparatory meeting for the Venice conference which Croatia initiated for that purpose, the statement said. The Croatian side presented its fundamental arguments to explain why it was necessary to expand the jurisdiction of coastal states in the Adriatic in line with the EU policy for the Mediterranean. The two sides reached a high level of agreement about the need to take certain steps in order to protect the marine environment and ensure safe navigation and sustainable fishing in the Adriatic. Agreement was reached to continue cooperation at multilateral and bilateral levels, the statement said. (hina) vm