ZAGREB, Jan 10 (Hina) - Israeli-Croatian relations entered a new stage following President Stipe Mesic's visit to Israel and his speech at the Knesset and are currently promoted by the cooperation within the anti-terrorist coalition,
it was said on Thursday during an Israeli parliamentary delegation's visit to the Croatian parliament. Mesic's visit to Israel was unforgettable, said David Magen, the head of the delegation and chairman of the Israeli parliament's foreign policy and defence committee. Mesic's speech at the Knesset urged the Israeli parliament to do everything to advance Croatian-Israeli relations, he added. The Knesset delegation and the Croatian parliament's foreign affairs committee agreed the Mesic visit had turned a new page, and that in the Knesset speech he had made a historic statement which was backed by the huge majority of the Croatian population, foreign affairs committee chairman
ZAGREB, Jan 10 (Hina) - Israeli-Croatian relations entered a new
stage following President Stipe Mesic's visit to Israel and his
speech at the Knesset and are currently promoted by the cooperation
within the anti-terrorist coalition, it was said on Thursday during
an Israeli parliamentary delegation's visit to the Croatian
parliament.
Mesic's visit to Israel was unforgettable, said David Magen, the
head of the delegation and chairman of the Israeli parliament's
foreign policy and defence committee. Mesic's speech at the Knesset
urged the Israeli parliament to do everything to advance Croatian-
Israeli relations, he added.
The Knesset delegation and the Croatian parliament's foreign
affairs committee agreed the Mesic visit had turned a new page, and
that in the Knesset speech he had made a historic statement which
was backed by the huge majority of the Croatian population, foreign
affairs committee chairman Zdravko Tomac said.
In the November 2001 speech, Mesic deeply and genuinely regretted
the crimes which were committed against the Jews in World War Two on
the territory of the quisling state called the Independent State of
Croatia (NDH).
Today the Israeli delegation spoke about "the terror of Muslim
fanatics" which it said Israel had been fighting for years and which
was now threatening the whole free world. The delegation said this
terrorism was now starting to take over important points and
positions in Bosnia and might threaten Croatia as well.
Today's talks also addressed the construction of a Jewish cultural
centre in Zagreb on the site of a synagogue demolished in WW2, and
the inclusion of programmes against anti-Semitism in Croatian
elementary and secondary schools.
During a meeting with parliamentary speaker Zlatko Tomcic, the
Israeli delegation invited him and Tomac, who both accepted, to
visit Israel this March or spring.
Magen said the Knesset's foreign policy and defence committee would
support Croatia on its path to NATO.
(hina) ha sb