CROATIAN AMBASSADOR MEETS ITALIAN FISHERIES MINISTRY OFFICIAL

ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - Croatia's ambassador to Italy, Drago Kraljevic, held talks on Monday with the undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Paolo Scarpo Bonazza Buoro, following an article published in Il Piccolo daily on Saturday under the headline "Italy ready to block Croatia's EU entry", the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. #L# Scarpa said that he had informed the journalist who wrote the article about the position of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and that of Italian fishermen. There was no talk of any steps being taken to stop the ratification by the Italian parliament of Croatia's stabilisation and association agreement with the European Union, the statement said. Scarpa said his ministry did not have the authority to take an official stance on the decision by the Croatian parliament to declare an ecological and fishing zone in the Adriatic Sea, nor did he personally propose something like that. Scarpa said he hoped dialogue on this matter would resume soon between the two countries. Kraljevic said he would meet Scarpa soon for further talks on the issue, the statement said. (hina) vm