CROATIAN PRESIDENT MESIC ARRIVES IN ITALY

ROME, July 4 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic, as the head of a Croatian delegation, on Tuesday arrived in a two-day visit to Vatican and Italy. Pope John Paul II will receive the Croatian President around 11.30AM. The Croatian delegation is then to hold talks with the Holy See Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodan. After the stay in Vatican, Mesic will visit Quirinale, palace of the Italian President, where he will be welcomed by Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. In the afternoon, Mesic will hold a lecture at the economy and management university LUIS in Rome, which will be attended by Italian entrepreneurs. In the evening, the Croatian President will meet representatives of the Croatian minority in Italy's region of Molize as well as Croat who live and work in Rome. On the second day of his visit, the Croatian President is scheduled to meet with president of the Italian Senate Nicola Mancini and president of the House of Representatives Luciano Violante. Talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and a visit to St Jerome Pope institute are also scheduled. The Croatian delegation also includes First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic, Minister for European Integration Ivan Jakovcic and Deputy Foreign Minister Vesna Cvjetkovic-Kurelec. (hina) it