CROATIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKS WITH EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT

ALEKSANDRIA/ZAGREB, Oct 16 (Hina) - Croatian president Stjepan Mesic spoke with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Alexandria on Wednesday. #L# President Mesic arrived in Egypt on Wednesday where, along with numerous other officials, he is to attend the ceremonious opening of the renewed Alexandria Library. Presidents Mesic and Mubarak spoke about advancing bilateral relations between Croatia and Egypt, advancing co-operation between Mediterranean as well as the situation in the Near East, the spokeswoman for the President's Office, Danijela Barisic, told Hina. The Egyptian president assessed that a solution to the Near East issue would not be easily attained particularly if the current circumstances continue. Speaking about the situation surrounding Iraq, Mubarak said that Baghdad should allow UN inspectors to enter the country and that any further sharpening of the situation around that country could have world-wide consequences. Croatia's president invited his Egyptian colleague to visit Croatia, Barisic said. (hina) sp it sb