MESIC & SOLANA CONSIDER SITUATION IN REGION, EU-WEST BALKAN SUMMIT

BRUSSELS, July 17 (Hina) - A summit meeting of western Balkan countries, due to be held in Croatia in autumn, and the situation in the region were the main topics of the talks Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and the European Union High Representative for joint foreign and security policy, Javier Solana, held in Brussels on Monday. I am very impressed with the manner Croatia is progressing, Solana told reporters after the talks. He pointed to excellent and solid relations between the European Union and Croatia. The EU official voiced confidence in the success of the scheduled Zagreb summit for the western Balkans, which should be held under the chairmanship of France that is now holding the rotating presidency of the EU. We shall closely co-operate with Croatia to continue building a stable region, and I am sure we shall succeed in this, along with the leadership of Croatian President, Solana said. Since the end of a period when the country was isolated, Croatia has taken great steps towards European associations, and is recognisable as the driving force of the region in bids to come closer th European integration processes, Croatian President Mesic said adding that this was also proved by the initiative of the French President Jacques Chirac to propose Croatia as the host of the western Balkan-EU summit. Mesic voiced satisfaction with the image his country had now in the world. Mesic said he was satisfied with messages forwarded from Europe to the regime of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, and believed that the region would be spared of yet another war. In this context, the Croatian head of state recalled that Milosevic had launched four wars so far. (hina) mm ms