JOERG HAIDER ANNOUNCES HIS VISIT TO CROATIA

ZAGREB, Aug 3 (hina) - President of Austria's province of Carinthia and former president of the right-wing free party Joerg Haider said he planned to visit Croatia this autumn. Haider told Hina Wednesday he had plans to visit Zagreb during the Zagreb Autumn Fair, considering that the economy of the Carinthia province is to be collectively presented at the Zagreb Fair for the first time. It is our tradition than high officials of Carinthia be present at fair exhibitions, therefore I will personally arrive in Zagreb, said Haider. I believe that during my visit I will have possibilities for political contacts with people from the Croatian political scene, Haider stressed. He added he had many friends in Croatia because he had been often visiting Croatia before the war privately as well as a political figure. Haider said he met Croatian President Stipe Mesic in 1989/1990 after which the two officials jointly coordinated the shipping of humanitarian aid to Croatia, and expressed satisfaction about Mesic return to the Croatian political scene. Croatia recognised an economic partner in Carinthia and the proof of this is a long standing presence of the Hypo Alpe Adria Bank in Croatia, said Haider and added he believed that the cooperation would expand to the political level as well. According to Haider, his party, which is the ruling party in Austria along with the People's Party, would firmly support Croatia's joining the European Union. Croatia's joining the European Union has been unjustifiably prolonged, Haider said and added that Croatia and Slovenia had fulfilled conditions for joining Europe. As for joining the European Union, Haider said he was very critical about Union's expansion toward East, and added he believed that each country should be considered individually. (hina) it