MESIC: AUSTRIA GREATLY ADVOCATES CROATIA'S INTEGRATION INTO EUROPE

VIENNA, Dec 5 (Hina) - Austria is a big advocate of Croatia's integration into Europe, and the development of Croatian economy without Austrian capital is inconceivable, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said in Vienna on Thursday after meeting his Austrian counterpart, Thomas Klestil. #L# "Austria is the most represented country in Croatia," Mesic said after his fifth meeting with Klestil this year. "Austria and Croatia understand each other excellently in politics and the economy," said Klestil, stressing that Austria was the biggest direct foreign investor in Croatia and it supported Croatia's path to Europe. He announced that Austria would assist in the reform of Croatia's land registry books. "It is important for Croatia to be a law-based state, to implement its laws and respect assumed international obligations," Mesic said in reply to a question by an Austrian reporter about Croatia's cooperation with the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal and the case of indicted General Janko Bobetko. "Based on the tribunal's statute, the government has undertaken some legitimate steps in the Bobetko case. This case is now in the hands of a Croatian court which is independent in its ruling, but considering Bobetko's health condition, doctors will have the final say," Mesic said. He added Croatia would continue to cooperate with the tribunal because it was in its interest to see guilt for crimes completely individualised. (hina) lml