CRO PRESIDENT & GREEK PREMIER SUPPORT ADRIATIC HIGHWAY PROJECT

ATHENS, Nov 23 (Hina) - Greek Premier Kostas Simitis and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Monday endorsed a proposal for the building of an Adriatic highway which would connect southern and western Europe. In a joint statement issued after official talks, Simitis and Tudjman reiterated their support to the building of the highway which would connect Greece, Albania, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, and Austria. Tudjman and Simitis believe the project is of common interest to all said countries as an important means of increasing the standard of living and benefiting the wider interests of all European countries. They emphasised the resolution of their countries to work towards achieving this goal on all levels, and called on all interested countries and organisations to join Croatia and Greece in the challenge. Simitis and Tudjman called on Croatian and Greek foreign and transport ministers to meet early next year to discuss progress in the highway project. On the first day of his visit to Greece, the Croatian President said his talks with Greek counterpart Stephanopoulos and Premier Simitis focused on the general conditions of Croatia and Greece in view of their crisis environment, referring to Kosovo and Greek- Turkish disputes. "I can point out with great pleasure that the talks were characterised by a high level of agreement," said Tudjman. The Greek Premier said his country supported Croatia's Euroatlantic integration, as it was an element of stability in Europe. (hina) ha/sp