CRO. PRESIDENT SAYS CROATIA HAS INTERESTS OUTSIDE EUROPE

ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - Croatia has interests outside Europe, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said in Zagreb on Saturday summing up results of his ten-day long Asian tour. "Croatia is interested in entering Europe and developing relations with the European Union. Europe is uniting and Croatia wants to take part in this. But, our interests are outside Europe as well", Mesic told reporters assessing the results of the Croatian state and economic delegations' visits to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Stressing an interest in developing economic relations with these countries, Mesic said Croatia offered cooperation in shipbuilding, manufacturing industry and the use of ports through which countries of Southeast Asia can access the large European market. Speaking about some good experiences in countries he visited, Mesic stressed Croatia must increasingly use the advantages of free zones, open them in its continental part and on islands, and offer such legal frameworks which would make Croatia attractive to foreign capital. Mesic also assessed tourism experiences as useful, and said Croatia should follow examples in the development of a high-level tourism. He said every country he visited showed interest for a "joint venture" way of cooperation, for import-export businesses without third party brokers, with products such as coal, palm tree oil and coffee, and pointed to prospects of Croatian construction industry for obtaining jobs in these countries. President Mesic in particular stressed the importance of the development of economic diplomacy and its permanent contacts with businessmen through the Chamber of Commerce. He said talks with statesmen of countries he visited also tackled the global fight against terrorism, and reiterated the standpoint that it was necessary to eliminate ambience which causes terrorism - poverty and local conflicts. (hina) np sb