MESIC DESCRIBES HIS VISIT TO ITALY AND HOLY SEA AS SUCCESSFUL

ZAGREB, July 5 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Wednesday evening returned to Zagreb from his official visit to Italy and the Vatican. Describing his visit as very successful Mesic said: "We have succeeded in all what we intended to achieve with this visit. At the Holy See we received the backing for all we are doing now and we also thanked for all what was done for us since the international recognition of Croatia." "As regards Italy we have the best political and economic relations with it, but they can be also improved," he stressed. During the trip to Italy Mesic led a delegation consisting of Croatia's First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic, European Integration Minister Ivan Jakovcic, a member of the Sabor, Furio Radin, Mesic's advisor for foreign policy, Stanko Nick, Deputy Foreign Minister Vesna Cvjetkovic Kurelec and Ambassador to the Vatican Marijan Sunjic. Mesic, the Croatian officials and their Italian hosts discussed the concrete projects and the furtherance of the Croatian-Italian relations as well as the progress of the entire region in efforts to come closer the EU and NATO. We asked for Italian support to the construction of the Adriatic- Ionian highway, and talked about bids to make the Danube navigable, Mesic said adding that they also considered projects for the oil pipe line from the Caspian Sea towards Croatia and the gas pipeline from Norway via central Europe towards the Adriatic. (hina) jn ms