SPLIT SPLIT, Oct 10 (Hina) - The Mediterranean Committee of the Socialist International (SI) started a two-day session in the southern coastal city of Split on Friday.
SPLIT, Oct 10 (Hina) - The Mediterranean Committee of the Socialist
International (SI) started a two-day session in the southern
coastal city of Split on Friday. #L#
The session, hosted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of
Croatia, brought together representatives of social democratic
parties from 15 European, African and Middle-East countries.
SI secretary general Luis Ayala of Spain praised the SDP for its
achievements in Croatia, saying that Croatian Social Democrats had
always sent out optimistic messages to the world.
"The geographical position of the Mediterranean is such that it can
respond to the desires of Social Democrats around the world and
provide a common answer to the issue of globalisation," Ayala
said.
Speaking in his capacity as host of the gathering, Croatian Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula said that "regional cooperation is very
important, but cannot be imposed from outside or introduced from
another end of the world."
"Countries in the region that face common difficulties can
establish successful cooperation by themselves as this seems to be
becoming the model for regional cooperation in the Mediterranean.
This, however, requires speedier democratic processes in the
entire region," Picula said.
Speaking of the importance of transport corridors through this part
of the world, Picula said that Croatia made its contribution to
connecting Europe's north and south by building a highway between
Zagreb and Split. He added that the Croatian parliament had
declared a fishing zone rather than an economic zone in the Adriatic
in order to preserve good cooperation.
Picula said that Croatia supported all forms of cooperation in the
Mediterranean and that regional cooperation provided a firm basis
for this.
(hina) vm