DAVOS: MESIC, ARAFAT DISCUSS MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

DAVOS, Jan 29 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Sunday held talks with Yaser Arafat, the president of the Palestinian self- government, discussing the Middle East peace process.#L# Speaking to members of the press after the talks, held on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mesic said the talks focused on the Middle East process which, according to Arafat, was headed in a positive direction. "Given that the war is behind us, and we have experience in the matter, I told him... that war costs a lot, but that peace costs even more," Mesic told reporters. Referring to Croatia's experience in the Homeland Defence War, the early 1990s war of independence from the former Yugoslav federation, Mesic told Arafat difficult problems would surface as soon as peace was signed, because Palestine would be faced with a series of new challenges. "State institutions will have to be organised, the problems of the sick, the disabled, children, and widows will have to be solved, and what is most important, jobs will have to be opened," Mesic told reporters. He said he suggested that Palestine press the international community for investments. "Given my scheduled visit to Israel and Gaza, I already agreed with Arafat in New York that I would realise the visit simultaneously," the Croatian president said. (hina) ha