BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 5167 HINA Zagreb, 14 December 2003

HR-BULLETIN-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 5167 HINA Zagreb, 14 December 2003 CROATIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN MOSCOWMOSCOW, Dec 14 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic arrived in Moscow on Sunday evening for a visit at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Mesic meets Putin for the third time since he took office and for the second time this year, which Croatian diplomatic sources say is a confirmation of "excellent personal relations" between the two presidents. The same sources say that Putin considers Mesic to be an important factor of political stability in the region. The two heads of state are scheduled to meet privately on Monday evening. They are expected to discuss the further strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries and the current political situation in the world. After the meeting, Mesic will travel to Kaliningrad where he is due to lay a foundation stone for a Croatian honorary consulate on Tuesday.MESIC SAYS CROA