CROATIA WILL DO EVERYTHING TO HAVE MONTENEGRO PARTICIPATE AT AT ZAGREB SUMMIT

ZAGREB, Nov 9 (Hina) - Croatia will do everything to have representatives of all envisaged countries participate at the Zagreb Summit, and is holding intensive consultations on ways to forward an invitation to the Montenegrin leadership, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said Thursday after a meeting with his French counterpart Hubert Vedrine and EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security, Javier Solana. Vedrine and Solana arrived in Zagreb Thursday to speak with Croatian officials about preparations on the Zagreb Summit to be held on November 24. The two will also be received by President Stipe Mesic and Prime Minister Ivica Racan. "We talked about ways in which an invitation could be sent to the Montenegrin leadership. The consultations are still underway and we will do our best to have Montenegrin leaders participate at the Summit," Picula told reporters. Vedrine who is a representative of the country - co-organisator, said the participation of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic at the Summit would be very desirable. Twenty-five delegations at the highest level are expected to participate at the Zagreb Summit. The three officials maintained that preparations for the conference were near completion, and Vedrine stressed the Summit was intended to pay homage to a new Croatia. "Zagreb will be a true occasion for stating the democratic progress and progress in the stabilisation of the entire region, which we witnessed this year," Picula said, expressing gratitude to France, being the chairing country of the European Union, for giving Croatia an opportunity to confirm its successful foreign policy affiliation as a host to the summit. Thanks to democratic changes in Croatia and Yugoslavia, I believe the summit will be very important politically for democratisation and cooperation in the region, as well as the approach of every country to the EU individually, Vedrine said. During the Zagreb Summit Croatia will begin negotiations with the European Union on the Agreement on Stabilisation and Association, and the Council of Ministers is expected to, on November 20, grant a mandate to the European Commission to begin talks with Croatia. (hina) lml