SPANISH MINISTER:CROATIA HAS GREAT POSSIBILITIES IN ITS DEVELOPMENT

ZAGREB, Nov 14 (Hina) - Croatia enjoys great development prospects and Spain, being the sixth-ranked country in the world according to foreign investments, can do much here as well, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique y Camps said in Zagreb on Tuesday after his talks with Croatia's First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic and Foreign Minister Tonino Picula. Being the sixth country in the world according to its investments abroad, Spain can do much in Croatia, particularly in the view of the fact that several Spanish companies are already active in Croatia, the Spanish minister added. Pique's talks with Croatian top officials revolved also around Spanish projects some of which have been launched while some are to be implemented soon in Croatia. Spain is very glad about what is going on both in the political and economic field in Croatia, the Spanish minister said. He and his Croatian hosts agreed that they shared a positive stand on the developments in Yugoslavia and that the Dayton peace accords should further be upheld as the best framework for Bosnia- Herzegovina's future. According to Pique, he, Granic and Picula considered the November 24 Zagreb summit and the positive outcome it should offer. The Croatian First Deputy PM told reporters that Spain and Croatia were friendly countries and added his talks with Minister Pique focused on possibilities for the furtherance of economic ties. Spain is not only a strong European country, but it is a country which has undergone its own process of transition and taken the lead in many reforms of the economic system. Therefore, its experience will be useful to Croatia, Goran Granic said adding that Zagreb should expect assistance of Spanish economic experts and institutions. During his stay in Zagreb the Spanish foreign minister was received by President Stjepan Mesic, and this evening he left for Sarajevo. (hina) ms