CROATIA TO ATTEND CENTRAL EUROPEAN SUMMIT FOR FIRST TIME

ZAGREB, April 27 (Hina) - Presidents of Central European countries will hold an informal meeting in the Hungarian city of Szekesfehervar, on 28 and 29 April. This is the seventh informal meeting and Croatia will participate for in it the first time. Presidents of 12 countries that are a part of Central Europe, geographically, historically or culturally will discuss the cooperation in the region. On this occasion the host, Hungary, will also mark the 1,000th anniversary of its statehood. Besides Hungarian and Croatian Presidents, Arpad Goencz and Stjepan Mesic respectively, the event will be attended by head of states of Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Such annual meetings were initiated by Austria's President Thomas Klestil in 1993 when he called Presidents of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany to attend the Salzburg Festival. Since then Central European summits have been regular. The summits have so far been organised in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Ukraine and Hungary is to host it again this year. The number of the summits' participants rose steadily, and this year reached the record number of 12 Presidents. The chief aim of the informal meetings to enable head of states to freely exchange opinions on a variety of issues and topics relating to their countries, the region, Europe as well as the world, with emphasis given to long-term prospects. (hina) mm ms