ROME: CRO. PRESIDENT MESIC HOLDS TALKS WITH ITALIAN PM AMATO

ROME, July 5 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic's talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato in Rome on Wednesday focused on the situation in the entire region and special initiatives for resolving the situation in Serbia.#L# Italy was originally controlled towards a proposal by French President Jacques Chirac for a conference on Southeast Europe. President Mesic explained the use such a conference could have in bringing about changes in Belgrade. As long as there is no democracy in Belgrade, the advancement of political as well as economic relations in the entire region will be difficult, he said. Croatia's First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic briefed Italy's prime minister on Croatia's economic and social situation. Furio Radin, a Croatian MP and representative of the Italian community in Croatia, acquainted Amato with Croatia's new laws on minorities, motioned by the incumbent government and adopted by parliament. One of the laws is on bilingualism, the other on education. Italy's prime minister applauded both. Today's talks also addressed succession to an agreement Italy had with the former Yugoslav federation and how to transfer it on Croatia. Croatian President Mesic also spoke about major projects, such as an Adriatic-Ionian highway crossing Turkey, Greece, Croatia, and Italy, and the construction of an oil pipeline from the Caspian Sea to Italy, across Hungary and Croatia, and a gas pipeline from Norway to the northern Adriatic Sea, across Poland. These projects would ensure power supply in both Croatia and Italy. President Mesic also pointed to the need of cleansing the Danube despite its not being directly linked with Italian interests, adding the navigability of the river was important for Vukovar and eastern-most Croatia. Italy is especially interested in investing in tourist projects and road-building. It was said during talks Croatia would continue adjusting its legislation to European standards to give industrialists and investors security for their investments. Before returning to Croatia, President Mesic and the entire Croatian delegation visited the Croatian papal institute of St. Jerome. (hina) ha jn