CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER RACAN STARTS TALKS IN BRUSSELS

BRUSSELS, May 9 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Tuesday afternoon started talks in NATO headquarters on Croatia's joining the Partnership for Peace programme. Ahead of the meeting with NATO Secretary General George Robertson, Racan told Croatian reporters he expected a positive decision on Croatia's joining the Partnership for Peace programme. After the talks with Robertson, Racan will speak at a meeting of heads of permanent missions of NATO member countries in Brussels. "Tomorrow we expect a decision in line with which we will be invited to and present in Florence", Racan told reporters. Apart from the session of NATO's Ministers' Council, also held in Florence on May 24 will be a meeting of the EuroAtlantic Council for cooperation, which includes 19 NATO members countries and 25 Partnership for Peace countries. "I believe that we can be sure, as I already announced, that a decision on Croatia (its joining the Partnership for Peace", to be passed in May, will be positive", Racan stressed. A Croatia delegation, headed by Prime Minister Racan, also includes Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and Defence Minister Jozo Rados. (hina) it JN