STABILITY PACT - EXCELLENT FRAME FOR CROATIAN-ALBANIAN COOPERATION

TIRANA, Aug 18 (Hina) - Croatia and Albania hold that the Stability Pact for the southeast of Europe is an excellent framework for cooperation among all the countries-signatories, especially those which are not members of EU or NATO, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in Tirana Wednesday. #L# Granic is on a one-day official visit to Albania where he met his counterpart Paskal Milo, Premier Pandeli Majka, Parliament Speaker Skender Gjinushi, and President Rexhep Meidani. "The Stability Pact is a frame in which various ideas will, more or less acceptable, crystallise," Granic said, stressing it was, thus, in the interest of both countries to actively participate at round-table conferences and submit their ideas, as well as dismiss those that are not acceptable. Granic said it was in the interest of Croatia and Albania to develop an economic cooperation which has been modest. He added there were no outstanding issues between the two countries which were cooperating on a bilateral and multilateral level and had the same foreign policy goals. "Subsequent to the end of NATO military operations in Kosovo, we now have a chance to cooperate in economy, culture and science, as well as tourism, communications and telecommunications," Granic told reporters. He stressed Zagreb and Tirana supported the speedy construction of a highway from Greece, via Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia to Italy. "We will submit the project jointly at a Stability Pact round-table on economy," Granic said. He added Croatian companies INA (oil company) and Koncar (electric appliances) were already present on the Albanian market, but that there were bigger possibilities for economic cooperation. "There is also great interest for air and maritime connections between Croatia and Albania, as well as for joint investments in tourism and agriculture," Granic said. (hina) lml