ZAGREB, Feb 14 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic will travel to Bratislava on Monday for a two-day visit to Slovakia. In Bratislava, Croatian Minister will hold meetings with his Slovakian counterpart Eduard Kukan,
Slovakian Premier Mikulas Dzurinda and Parliament's Speaker, Jozef Migas, to discuss the bilateral relations and the two countries' efforts to enter European and transatlantic integration institutions. They will also consider Croatia's bid to join CEFTA, the Central European Free Trade Agreement. Ahead of Granic's tour to Bratislava, both sides described the Croatian-Slovakian relations as stable adding that there were no open issues between the two countries. The Bratislava government has continued supporting Croatia's efforts aimed at joining the CEFTA, member states of which are the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Croatia should sign bilateral treaties
ZAGREB, Feb 14 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic will
travel to Bratislava on Monday for a two-day visit to Slovakia.
In Bratislava, Croatian Minister will hold meetings with his
Slovakian counterpart Eduard Kukan, Slovakian Premier Mikulas
Dzurinda and Parliament's Speaker, Jozef Migas, to discuss the
bilateral relations and the two countries' efforts to enter
European and transatlantic integration institutions.
They will also consider Croatia's bid to join CEFTA, the Central
European Free Trade Agreement.
Ahead of Granic's tour to Bratislava, both sides described the
Croatian-Slovakian relations as stable adding that there were no
open issues between the two countries.
The Bratislava government has continued supporting Croatia's
efforts aimed at joining the CEFTA, member states of which are the
Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Croatia should sign bilateral treaties on free trade with each of
these countries, become a World Trade Organisation (WTO) full
member, and conclude an agreement on the associate membership with
the European Union (EU) in order to be admitted to the CEFTA.
Granic and his hosts are expected to discuss other issues such as
the debt clearance scheme or the Slovakian usage of Croatian
ports.
Upon his arrival in the Slovakian capital on Monday evening,
Croatian Foreign Minister Granic is to open the new premises of the
Croatian Embassy in Bratislava.
Granic will also meet representatives of the 4,500-strong Croatian
national minority in Slovakia. Most of the ethnic Croats live in the
four villages - Devinsko Novo Selo, Cunovo, Hrvatski Grob and
Hrvatski Jandorf - in the surroundings of Bratislava.
The good relations between Croatia and Slovakia are marked by the
intergovernmental and interparliamentary cooperation as well as by
the political cooperation of the two countries in international
organisations. Croatia and Slovakia have so far signed 22
agreements and protocols, and taken over 31 treaties after the
succession to former Yugoslavia (SFRY) and Czechoslovakia.
During his visit to Bratislava in January 1997, Croatian Prime
Minister Zlatko Matesa and the then Slovakian Premier, Vladimir
Mechier, signed a joint statement accentuating the mutual interest
in promoting the bilateral economic ties.
(hina) ms