HUNGARIAN DELEGATION HOLDS TALKS WITH CROATIAN PARTIES

ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - The initial advantage in the transition process Croatia had over Hungary and other countries in transition was undone by the Serb aggression and bad politics, the secretary for international relations of Croatia's Social Democratic Party (SDP), Tonino Picula, said in Zagreb on Friday. Picula today held talks with Tamas Major, his counterpart at FIDESZ, the strongest party in Hungary's ruling coalition, who visited Zagreb with FIDESZ parliamentary representative and Hungarian-Croatian Interparliamentary Committee chairman Laszlo Nogradi. "Such cooperation between two parties of different political orientation, citizens' and social-democratic, shows a tendency, increasingly frequent and necessary in Europe, to rise above ideological differences and find solutions for the common good," Picula told Hina after the talks with the Hungarian officials. Despite changes in the governing structure in Hungary in the past decade, Croatia-Hungary relations have been ascending constantly, Picula said, adding it was to be expected it would continue to be so after the impending change of authority in Croatia. Following talks with officials of the SDP, the Hungarian delegation met the acting president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Goran Granic, and associates. They are also expected to hold talks with Croatian Peasants' Party president Zlatko Tomcic, and the vice president of the formerly ruling Croatian Democratic Union, Vesna Skare-Ozbolt. The SDP/HSLS coalition won at a parliamentary election held in Croatia earlier this month. (hina) ha mm