CROATIA AND SYRIA ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic received Syrian First Deputy Foreign Minister Raslan Alloush on Friday, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Before the meeting, Alloush and Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Frane Krnic signed an agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Granic and Alloush expressed a great interest in developing good political and economic relations between Croatia and Syria, stressing the need for signing several bilateral agreements as soon as possible. They also discussed the successful process of peaceful reintegration of the UN-administered Danube river region into Croatia and the peace processes in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Near East. (hina) vm jn 291314 MET aug 97