CRO DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS HUNGARY

ZAGREB/BUDAPEST, March 12 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Vesna Cvjetkovic Kurelec on Monday in Budapest held talks with Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Mortony on bilateral issues, European integration and Croatia's joining regional initiatives, which Hungary supports, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Cvjetkovic Kurelec, who is on a working visit to Hungary, also met president of the Hungarian parliament's foreign political committee Istvan Szent-Ivany, members of the committee and her counterpart Zsolt Nemeth. Hungary will support Croatia's joining the CEFTA and its participation in the work of the Visegrad Group and the Vilinus 9 Group, read the statement. The officials also discussed the issues of minorities, cooperation within the Quadrilateral and regional cooperation. Also conducted were talks on all bilateral issues of political and economic relations, European integration and regional cooperation, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in the statement. The officials tackled the reaffirmation of traditionally good relations between the two neighbouring countries. According to the statement, the officials assessed that the recent visit of the Hungarian Prime Minister and the signing of a free trade agreement opened a new page in the development of merchant and overall economic relations. The talks also tackled other elements of the strategic partnership, primarily the building of highways and reconstruction of railways. Cvjetkovic Kurelec announced the visit of Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula to Hungary in mid May. During Picula's visit to Hungary, the two countries should sign an agreement on social insurance and an agreement on cooperation in science and technology, read the statement. (hina) it