CHILEAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER VISITS ZAGREB

( Editorial: --> 5972 ) ZAGREB, 2 March (Hina) - The Croatian Foreign Affairs and Agriculture and Forestry Ministers Mate Granic and Zlatko Dominikovic respectively, held talks on Monday with the Chilean Agriculture Minister Carlos Mladinic, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The two sides discussed bilateral relations and the improvement of economic cooperation. It was agreed that Croatian-Chilean relations were very good and friendly and that new areas of cooperation should be explored. Granic informed Mladinic about the strategic interests of Croatia's foreign policy following the successfully completed UNTAES mission in the Croatian Danubian region and Croatia's efforts in getting closer to Central European and Euro-Atlantic integration processes. Croatia will continue to actively participate in strengthening the peace process in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Granic added. Agriculture Minister Dominikovic acquainted his counterpart with the main characteristics of Croatia's agriculture and its integration into world economic associations. Dominikovic also spoke about areas in which the two countries could develop cooperation. Croatia is interested in direct import of fish powder from Chile and the signing of a veterinary-sanitary agreement, as well as in Chile's experience in the protection and processing of fish and in the processing and distribution of fruit and vegetables, Dominikovic said. Expressing readiness for agricultural cooperation, Chile's Mladinic informed his hosts about the measures his country has been applying over the past few years and which have made Chile a large exporter of agricultural products. Although trade with Chile is increasing, the exchange of agricultural and food products has been stagnating for the past few years. (hina) mm rm/mrb . 021422 MET mar 98