CROATIAN OFFICIALS ATTEND ROME MEETING OF ADRIATIC-IONIAN INITIATIVE

ROME, Aug 10 (Hina) - The first meeting of countries of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, founded in Ancona on May 19/20, was held in Rome on Wednesday at the level of assistant interior and foreign ministers. The meeting discussed intensifying cooperation between countries in the region in fighting the smuggling of humans, weapons, drugs and tobacco. Croatia's delegation at the meeting was headed by Assistant Foreign and Interior Ministers Vladimir Drobnjak and Vladimir Faber respectively. Participating in the event as observers, along with the countries of the Initiative - Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Italy - were representatives of Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, European Commission and the Stability Pact for South-East Europe. The meeting focused on the prevention of the smuggling of humans, which recently has assumed worrying dimensions. Massimo Brutti, Under-Secretary of State for Internal Affairs, informed the meeting that the two smugglers, who two days ago threw into the sea from their boat a group of illegal Chinese emigrees, in which process two women were killed and two men went missing, have been discovered and arrested with the help of the Montenegrin police. Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Umberto Ranieri, who chaired the meeting, spoke about a new wave of Chinese emigrants. The aim of yesterday's meeting was talks on coordination between the countries through which this new wave is expected to pass. The next meeting of experts from those countries will be held in Venice on October 6, and the one after that will be held in Athens. Croatia, which in Ancona put up its candidacy for organising the second ministerial meeting of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, should during this month already decide where and when the meeting will be held. Due to many issues which have to be resolved, the meeting could be held as early as late this year. (hina) rml