25 ADRIATIC CITIES' MAYORS GATHER IN SPLIT

SPLIT, Sept 21 (Hina) - A two-day forum of mayors of Adriatic cities, which started on Thursday in the Croatian coastal city of Split, has gathered mayors of 25 cities and towns from Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Greece as well as officials of various ministries and associations. They will discuss traffic, transport and links between all parts of the Adriatic region and express their joint stand in the so-called Split declaration tomorrow. Split Mayor Ivan Skaric opened the event today. After that Ancona Mayor and the Forum's chairman, Renato Galeazzo spoke of the importance and necessity for Adriatic towns and cities to work together in efforts aimed at uniting Europe. He also spoke of chief road corridors such as the Adriatic-Ionian motor way, the Ploce-Sarajevo-Budapest direction, and a motor way towards Turkey, the connection between Trieste, Istria and Kopar, and the introduction of a ship line between Dubrovnik and Ancona. During the forum it was said that Split would most probably host the coming conference of foreign ministers of countries covered by the Adriatic-Inonian initiative, set for the beginning of 2001. Italian Ambassador to Croatia Fabio Pigliapoco and other Italian, Croatian and Greek senior officials were present on the first day of the forum. (hina) ms