ZAGREB, Sept 8 (Hina) - The presidents of the two strongest parties in Croatia's ruling six-party coalition - Social Democratic Party's (SDP) Ivica Racan and Croatian Social Liberal Party's (HSLS) Drazen Budisa said late Thursday
night the two parties have had problems in communication but there are no major differences regarding strategic political issues.
ZAGREB, Sept 8 (Hina) - The presidents of the two strongest parties
in Croatia's ruling six-party coalition - Social Democratic
Party's (SDP) Ivica Racan and Croatian Social Liberal Party's
(HSLS) Drazen Budisa said late Thursday night the two parties have
had problems in communication but there are no major differences
regarding strategic political issues. #L#
"We met to discuss problems in our cooperation and reach an
agreement on how to solve them, but we concluded that there are no
problems regarding strategic issues which are relevant for Croatia
and the state policy that would be worth discussing," Racan told
reporters after the meeting, which lasted several hours.
Racan said the talks also tackled models of implementing the state
policy.
"The talks will continue," SDP's president and Prime Minister Racan
said.
Racan and Budisa announced a closer cooperation between the
parties' leaderships and members of their parliamentary benches,
estimating insufficient communication was the main reason for
misunderstandings which have been burdening the coalition for the
past couple of months.
"What is important is the fact that there are no significant
differences between the HSLS and the SDP regarding the strategic
issues of development of the Croatian society and state and its
international position," Budisa said.
There are no significant differences between the two parties as
regards economic and social issues either, including "some
delicate political issues such as Croatia's cooperation with the
International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia," he added.
Apart from establishing closer ties, the two parties should also
strengthen cooperation with the other four coalition partners.
Budisa reiterated the current government had no alternative and its
success was also HSLS's success.
The incumbent government was formed by six parties in line with a
pre-election agreement. The parties participated in the January
election as members of two coalitions, one made up of the HSLS and
the SDP and the other of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), Croatian
Peasants' Party (HSS), Liberal Party (LS) and the Istrian
Democratic Assembly (IDS).
(hina) jn rml,