CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES REPRESENTATIVES OF EU TROIKA

( Editorial: --> 4997 ) ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Friday received the representatives of the European Union Troika in Zagreb - Ambassadors of EU presiding country Austria Rudolf Bogner, Germany's Volker Haak, Britain's Colin Munro, and European Commission special envoy Per Vinther. According to a statement from the Croatian Foreign Ministry, the EU Troika handed Granic a message in which the EU welcomes the recent initialling of an agreement between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) on the ports of Ploce and Neum. In the message the EU also hopes the agreement will further contribute to the strengthening of relations between Croatia and BH. The EU representatives said the EU expected the agreement would soon be signed and come into effect. Minister Granic emphasised that relations with BH were a Croatian policy priority. He also believed Croatia and representatives of the Croat-Muslim Federation of BH would soon also adjust the text of an agreement on special relations between Croatia and the Federation. (hina) ha 021418 MET oct 98