RELATIONS BETWEEN CROATIA AND NORWAY GOOD - FOREIGN MINISTRY

ZAGREB, Jan 11 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic and a Norwegian parliamentary delegation held talks in Zagreb on Monday about relations between the two countries which were described as good. Croatia has requested the annulment of visas for its citizens, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday. Granic held talks with a delegation of the Norwegian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, headed by chairman Haak Blakenborg. "Bilateral relations have been described as good, with full agreement on the need for their further development at all levels," the statement said. Granic informed his guests about the successful implementation of the Program of Return of refugees and displaced persons and requested a review of a decision on the temporary suspension of an agreement on the annulment of visas. In mid-1998, Norway reinstated visas for Croatian citizens after several hundreds of Croatian Serbs from the Croatian Danubian region requested asylum in Norway. Granic told his guests that the security situation in the Danubian region and other war-ravaged parts of Croatia was stable, and continued reconstruction for which significant resources have been set aside from the government budget will contribute to the security situation. Granic also informed the Norwegian delegation about the strategic goals of Croatia's foreign policy, stressing the interest in joining Euro-Atlantic political, economic and security associations, the statement said. (hina) lml