ZAGREB, Feb 16 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic will make a working trip to Austria on Feb. 20-22 to confirm friendly political and incite intensifying economic relations between Croatia and Austria, the President's Office said on
Friday. In Vienna Mesic will talk with Austria's President Thomas Klestil, Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, and parliament's lower house president Heinz Fischer. The two sides are expected to confirm good political relations and tackle the situation in the region and intensifying economic relations, particularly Austrian investing in Croatia. The Croatian President expects his interlocutors will acquaint him with their notion of a meeting of current and future European Union candidates Austria wants to establish strategic partnership, for the time being only in the economy. It is also expected Austria will open the issue of compensation to Austrian citizens from Croatia
ZAGREB, Feb 16 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic will make a working
trip to Austria on Feb. 20-22 to confirm friendly political and
incite intensifying economic relations between Croatia and
Austria, the President's Office said on Friday.
In Vienna Mesic will talk with Austria's President Thomas Klestil,
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, and parliament's lower house
president Heinz Fischer.
The two sides are expected to confirm good political relations and
tackle the situation in the region and intensifying economic
relations, particularly Austrian investing in Croatia.
The Croatian President expects his interlocutors will acquaint him
with their notion of a meeting of current and future European Union
candidates Austria wants to establish strategic partnership, for
the time being only in the economy.
It is also expected Austria will open the issue of compensation to
Austrian citizens from Croatia whose property was seized during the
pre-1990 communist regime. Croatia's Constitutional Court should
rescind provisions from the current Denationalisation Law which
are unfavourable for those whose property was seized.
In Vienna Mesic will have dinner with eminent Austrian
industrialists and bankers interested in investing in the Croatian
economy or expanding cooperation with Croatian companies.
With $747 million worth of trade in 11 months last year, Austria is
Croatia's fourth foreign trade partner. Croatia exported $264
million and invested $482 million in said period, increasing export
by ten and cutting import by 1.8 percent.
Austria is third among foreign investors in Croatia, with some $640
million in the 1993-2000 period.
The Austrian and Croatian presidents will visit the Burgenland
region where Mesic is to meet with representatives of the local
Croat minority.
The trip to Austria is a continuation of efforts the Croatian
authorities and Mesic are investing to advance relations with
Croatia's neighbours.
Both heads of state will also decorate each other.
(hina) ha