PRESIDENT MESIC: VISIT TO UKRAINE ONE OF MOST SUCCESSFUL

KIEV, Dec 4 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Tuesday described his two-day official visit to Ukraine as one of his most successful visits, during which numerous issues of interest to both countries were discussed. The visit of some 30 Croatian business people also contributed to the success of the stay, said Mesic. #L# The Croatian president on Monday and Tuesday held talks on several occasions with his host Leonid Kuchma, with whom he discussed the strengthening of the two countries' relations, especially economic, the situation in the region, Euro-Atlantic associations, as well as combating global terrorism. The two presidents signed a joint statement on cooperation between Croatia and Ukraine. Stressing that the talks in Kiev also focused on concrete business, Mesic accentuated the issue of the Druzba Adria pipeline, a project of transporting Russian oil via several countries to a terminal in Omisalj on Croatia's island of Krk. Ukraine was the only one to object to the price of the transport. "Their requested a higher price, but after our talks, the Ukrainian side said Ukraine would not be a hindrance to the functioning of the pipeline," Mesic stressed. Alongside the Croatian president, visiting Kiev were also about 30 representatives of Croatia's largest companies, who participated in a Croatian-Ukrainian economic forum. According to the president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Nadan Vidosevic, relations with Ukraine lack cooperation between the two countries' banks, as well as investment activities by Croatian companies on the Ukrainian market which numbers close to 50 million people. President Mesic will on Tuesday afternoon be visiting Yalta, and will be leaving Ukraine on Wednesday for a day-long official visit to Moldavia. (hina) lml sb