CROATIAN PRESIDENT MESIC IN PALERMO

PALERMO, Dec 13 (hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic held talks with UN first deputy Secretary General for drugs and organised crime Pino Arlachi and Colombian President Gustav Bella Lemus in Palermo Wednesday. The talks were held as a part of the United nations conference on the struggle against organised and global crime. Mesic said that globalised Mafia should be fight by global laws. The Croatian President and Arlachi discussed Croatia's problems caused by its geopolitical position which Mafia often uses when smuggling drugs and people. Arlachi offered help to Croatia in its efforts invested in the prevention of illegal trade and people trafficking via Croatia. During the talks with the Colombian President, Mesic said that a great amount of cocaine arrived in Croatia from Columbia. He also asked the Colombian President for assistance in the prevention of illegal drug smuggling. Croatian President Mesic also invited a Colombian economic delegation to visit Croatia in order to promote Croatian-Colombian economic relations. President Mesic is scheduled to return to Zagreb later this afternoon. (hina) it