CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES CHINESE PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY REP

( Editorial: --> 3124 ) ZAGREB, Aug 11 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Tuesday received the deputy speaker of the Chinese People's Assembly Standing Committee, Peng Peiyun. Granic expressed satisfaction with the level of bilateral relations without open issues so far. He stressed the necessity of further development of overall relations between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Granic informed his guest about the successfully completed mandate of the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem (UNTAES) in the eastern Croatian Danubian region, and about the active support by the Croatian government to the consistent implementation of the Washington and Dayton agreements in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The interests of Croatia's foreign policy is to access European associations and to develop good relations with all neighbouring countries, which has been confirmed by the process of normalisation of relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Granic said. Peng said China highly appreciated Croatia's support to the unified China and expressed gratitude to the Croatian government for consistent respect of this principle. She congratulated Croatia for the successful reintegration of the Croatian Danube River region and stressed Croatia's contribution and constructive role in the stabilisation of the political situation in the region, the statement said. (hina) lml 112002 MET aug 98