CROATIA AND AUSTRIA SIGN MILITARY COOPERATION AGREEMENT

( Editorial: --> 8892 ) ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - Croatia and Austria signed a bilateral agreement on military cooperation in Zagreb on Wednesday. The agreement was signed by Croatian Deputy Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Kresimir Cosic, and Austrian Defence Minister Werner Fasslabend, who is on a two-day visit to Croatia at the head of an Austrian delegation. "We consider that the agreement has significant prospects and that it is not only in the interest of our two states but in the interest of strengthening security and stability in the entire region," Cosic said following the talks. He added that with this agreement Croatia was "achieving a concrete and significant step in strengthening its position in the European defence-security system". The Austrian Defence Minister said: "We are starting from the position that the Balkans will be a region of insecurity for many years, and Croatia and Austria are located at the northern end of that zone, so it is in their special interest to have military cooperation." (Hina) mm mb /rm 111914 MET mar 98