SDP STRENGTHENS COOPERATION WITH REGIONAL SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTIES

ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - Croatia's Social Democratic Party (SDP) signed a Common Policy Manifesto of social democratic parties from the region in Udine, Italy, last Friday. The manifesto is aimed at strengthening cooperation between social democratic parties from the region, particularly as regards security issues and transfrontier cooperation. SDP parliamentary deputies Mirjana Feric Vac and Zdenko Franic signed the document on SDP's behalf, reads a statement the SDP sent Hina on Monday. Other signatories to the document are social democratic parties from Slovenia, the Italian regions Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and Veneto, and Austria's regions Carinthia and Styria. The Udine meeting supported Croatia's efforts to draw closer to Euro-Atlantic organisations in line with the principle of individual achievements, the statement reads. The document also calls for moving the Schengen borders to Croatia's eastern border and urges Slovenia and Croatia to speed up reforms aimed at adjustment to the Schengen agreement. The signatories voiced interest in establishing a joint network of chambers of commerce in order to increase the mobility of work force and create new jobs in the entire region. (hina) rml