KURELEC, AMADO ON CROATIA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH EU

LISBON, March 22 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Vesna Cvjetkovic-Kurelec and Portugal's state secretary Luis Amado on Wednesday discussed in Lisbon current issues of co-operation between Croatia and the European Union (EU), the Croatian Embassy in Lisbon said in a statement. The Kurelec-Amado talks were held ahead of a visit the EU troika will make to Zagreb on March 28. Amado said the EU's new regional approach to Southeast Europe would no longer include Croatia, but mention it only in passing, after the EU Council of Ministers at its last session concluded Croatia's political and economic problems could no longer be correlated with those burdening the rest of the region. Kurelec and Amado also tackled bilateral co-operation between Croatia and Portugal, which is currently presiding the EU. The Croatian deputy foreign minister submitted the draft of an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation which should be signed during Portuguese Premier Antonio Guteres' impending visit to Zagreb. Both sides assess the agreement would significantly facilitate economic co-operation between the two countries, and considerably incite the influx of direct, private investments from Portugal. Kurelec tonight also attended a conference of Europe's liberal parties, known in the European parliament under the joint name the European Liberal, Democratic and Reform party. (hina) ha