CROATIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ARRIVES IN TURKEY

ANKARA, Feb 4 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament speaker and a parliamentary delegation arrived in Ankara on Monday evening for a three-day official visit to Turkey. The Croatian delegation is visiting Turkey at the invitation of the Turkish parliament speaker, Omer Izgi. Immediately upon arriving in Ankara, Tomcic extended his condolences to the victims of an earthquake which shook Turkey on Sunday. The parliament speaker said the relations between the two countries were good and stable and expressed belief they would be promoted, particularly at the parliamentary level. Tomcic and the Croatian delegation will meet Turkish parliament speaker Omer Izgij, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. According to Tomcic, the talks will focus on Turkey's support to Croatia's joining NATO. The officials should also discuss the process of Turkey's 30-year long approaching the European Union. Apart from Tomcic, the Croatian parliament delegation also includes the chairman of the parliament's foreign affairs committee, Zdravko Tomac, the chairwoman of the internal affair and national security committee, Djurdja Adlesic, the chairwoman of the committee for the inter-parliamentary cooperation, Zdravka Busic and a member of the economy, reconstruction and development committee, Tonci Tadic. (hina) it