NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION VISITS PRESIDENT MESIC

ZAGREB, Sept 20 (Hina) - Croatia and Norway are connected with good ties in the fields of politics and economy, but the two countries are convinced the cooperation can be expanded and improved as there is good potential for this, chairman of the foreign affairs sib- committee of the Norwegian Parliament, Einar Steensnaes, said Wednesday after talks with Croatian president Stipe Mesic. We are convinced that these contacts can be expanded and improved because there is good potential for this in the spectre from tourism to energy supply," Steensnaes said. He stressed that since his last visit to Croatia a year and a half ago he has registered a positive political development of Croatia. We consider Croatia a very important country for political stability in the region and are with pleasure observing the political development of Croatia, Steensnaes said. The good assessments of Croatia's political development mainly pertain to steps being undertaken in the process of developing the parliamentary system, Steensnaes stressed on behalf of a delegation which was also received by Croatian Parliament speaker, Zlatko Tomcic. The Norwegian parliamentarians also met the chairman of the Parliament's foreign affairs committee, Zdravko Tomac, and members of the committee. On Wednesday morning the Norwegian delegation held talks with Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula who visited Norway at the beginning of May. (hina) lml jn