CROATIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT POLAND

WARSAW, June 28 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic will on Wednesday leave Zagreb for a two-day visit to Poland, during which he and his hosts will discuss bilateral relations and Poland's experience in drawing closer to Euro-Atlantic associations. Mesic should today meet Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski. On Thursday, Mesic is expected to meet Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek and the presidents of both parliamentary houses. Croatia and Poland have signed numerous bilateral agreements on cooperation in economy, education and culture as well as in transport and tourism. Preparations for a free trade agreement are underway. The two countries abolished their visa regimes in 1992. President Mesic is expected to bring up the issue of the Adriatic- Baltic traffic direction, which Warsaw is reportedly interested in, as well as Polish investments in the Croatian Railway. Kwasniewski, whose country has a population of almost 39 million, demonstrated his support for the new Croatian president and government by attending Mesic's inauguration ceremony. Poland has been a full NATO member since last year, when it was admitted together with Hungary and the Czech Republic. Poland is also one of the first six countries in transition which have started negotiations with the European Union on a stabilisation and association agreement. (hina) rml