CROATIAN AND POLISH INTERIOR MINISTERS HOLD TALKS

OSIJEK, Aug 9 (Hina) - Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Penic and his Polish counterpart Leszek Miler, on Saturday held talks in the eastern Croatian town of Osijek on possibilities of promoting cooperation between police of the two countries. After the Osijek meeting Penic said they had agreed on finalising two new treaties on the joint struggle against and help in natural disasters and on cooperation in fire-fighting. "Croatia and Poland have already signed two basic agreements on the work of police - on the reception and extradition of persons who illegally stay in one of our two countries and on the fighting against crimes," Penic said and added that they also agreed on exchange of experience in the fighting against trafficking of drugs and other crimes. He thanked Minister Miler for contribution of Polish UNTAES soldiers and civilian police to the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river area. We considered current developments in the work of our ministries and agreed that it was necessary to speed up activities aimed at the signing of new agreements, Polish Interior Minister Miler said. We would like to cooperate well in prevention of fires and big disasters and in prevention of drug trafficking, he said and added that he invited Minister Penic to visit Poland. During his tour in eastern Croatia, Polish Interior Minister visited members of the Polish special unit "Thunderbolt" serving with the UN peace force in the Croatian Danube river area. (hina) mš 091948 MET aug 97