AGRICULTURE IS MOST IMPORTANT SECTOR IN CRO-ALBANIAN COOPERATION

TIRANA, Aug 18 (Hina) - Croatian Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ivan Djurkic said in Tirana Wednesday that agriculture, and its branches, was the most important sector of cooperation between Croatia and Albania, so the two countries had great interest in cooperation in the field. Djurkic is on a one-day official visit to Albania as part of a Croatian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Mate Granic. Djurkic met Albanian Agriculture and Food Minister Lufter Xhuveli Wednesday. "In the sector of agriculture, forestry and fishing, we regard Albania as a direct business partner, but we also want cooperation with other regions and countries, through Albania," Djurkic told Croatian reporters. He said the good economic cooperation between Croatia and Albania began in 1995, but was terminated two years later, following the collapse of the pyramid financial schemes and disorder in Albania. Now is the time, following the end of NATO operations in Kosovo and the signing of the Stability Pact for the southeast of Europe, to renew the cooperation, Djurkic said. "The signing of the Stability Pact creates market frames for 60 million people and those who are able to find themselves better and get organised better will be able to take up a better place on the market," he stressed. (hina) lml