CROATIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS DEVELOPING SUCCESSFULLY

( Editorial: --> 1195 ) ZAGREB, March 20 (Hina) - Overall relations between Croatia and Russia are improving, said the Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Friday in Zagreb, after Croatian President Franjo Tudjman met the Russian Foreign Minister Eugeni Primakov. Granic told journalists that Tudjman and Primakov concluded with satisfaction, "that relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Croatia are successfully developing". Primakov handed Tudjman a letter from the Russian President Boris Yeltsin. In addition to bilateral relations, Tudjman and Primakov discussed the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Croatian Danube region, the return of refugees as well as the situation in Kosovo, said Granic. According to Granic, during the meeting Primakov supported the negotiations between Croatia, Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska regarding the return of refugees and displaced persons. Primakov said that during the meeting "uniform or close views were shown on the entire list of issues". "Once again I have felt that the balanced manner of Russian policy has great importance in this region," said Primakov. Primakov stressed that Russia is interested in closer relations between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Russia invited Tudjman and the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to visit in autumn. "We would like relations between these two countries to be closer," said Primakov. "Much depends on that." Tudjman accepted Yeltsin's invitation to visit Russia. Granic said the two sides agreed that a political declaration be signed during Tudjman's visit to Moscow. Croatia and Russia will hence prepare a package of measures for advancing economic relations. Tudjman and Primakov discussed the Kosovo crisis. Primakov informed Tudjman about all that is being undertaken to establish dialogue between Serb authorities and Kosovo Albanians, said Granic. Primakov said the discussion confirmed that "some progress" exists in regards to the Kosovo situation. He stressed that, at the moment, nothing should be undertaken that could endanger that process. (hina) jn mrb/as 201945 MET mar 98