EUROPEAN ANTI-TERRORIST CONFERENCE ADOPTS FINAL STATEMENT

BRUSSELS, Oct 20 (Hina) - A European anti-terrorist conference held in Brussels on Saturday adopted a final statement pointing out that it is necessary to strengthen, under the auspices of the UN, an international anti-terrorist coalition and implement a national programme of anti-terrorist measures in line with an EU action plan. The 37 countries participating in the conference, plus Russia, the Ukraine and Moldova as guests, agreed it was necessary to work towards breaking the terrorists' financial courses, including combating money-laundering and freezing the property of those helping terrorists. It was also asserted that European Union enlargement was the right path towards spreading stability, security and prosperity on the continent. In his address, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said the struggle against terrorism had to be waged on a national level, by adjusting national to European legislation, as well as on a regional and global level. Croatia ascribes particular importance to cooperation with neighbours, Picula told Croatian reporters later. He announced he would invite his Slovene and Yugoslav counterparts to Zagreb by the end of the year, and that he would visit Tirana and Budapest. "This proves that Croatia wishes to contribute to regional stability and cooperation," the minister said. Croatia intends to formally join the group of aspirants for membership in NATO by submitting a membership action plan in the first trimester of next year, Picula announced. (hina) ha sb