RUSSIA'S DUMA SPEAKER HOLDS TALKS WITH CROATIAN OFFICIALS

ZAGREB, Jan 31 (Hina) - Speaker of the Russian Parliament's Lower House, Genadiy Nikolayevich Seleznyov, on Wednesday held talks with Croatian officials on relations between the two countries. The Croatian government's public relations office said talks between Prime Minister Ivica Racan and Seleznyov underlined Croatia's interest for good relations with the Russian Federation, as well as its presence in the entire region, not only one of its parts. Seleznyov is convinced, the government's statement said, that the development of economic cooperation will promote and strengthen political relations as well. The talks also focused on the returning of the clearing debt to Croatia, not only through the process of succession, but also through joint projects, such as the Adria association for connecting energy and transport resources of the two countries. A reduction in its deficit in trade with the Russian Federation is in Croatia's interest, and the Prime Minister pointed out the possibility of exporting Russian raw materials via Croatian ports and their manufacturing in Croatia. Seleznyov also met Croatian Parliament's lower and upper house speakers Zlatko Tomcic and Katica Ivanisevic, as well as presidents of party benches, with whom he discussed the development of parliamentary cooperation which could assist the creation of a comprehensive cooperation between Croatia and Russia. (hina) lml sb