CRO FOREIGN MINISTER SPEAKS WITH ITALIAN AND SPANISH COUNTERPARTS

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Wednesday held bilateral talks in New York with his Italian and Spanish counterparts, Lamberto Dini and Abel Matutes. The talks between Granic and Dini confirmed the high level of relations between the two countries. The relations will be consolidated by the expected upcoming visit of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's visit to Rome. Dini also spoke about Italy's support to Croatia's efforts in accessing the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and Croatia's expected accession into the World Trade Organisation. Dini, as well as Matutes later, confirmed the support of their governments to the establishment of a working group of the European Union and Croatia which should assist Croatia's joining this association. Matutes and Granic described as positive the relations between Spain and Croatia, stressing there were no open issues which would burden the relations. During talks with Dini, Granic expressed expectations that Italy would endorse the construction of the Adriatic highway which would connect the south of Europe to Greece along the Adriatic coast. Granic is expected to hold a number of talks on Thursday with the foreign ministers of Island, Norway, Slovakia and Turkey, the Austrian state secretary and the EU commissioner for foreign affairs. (hina) lml