CROATIA AND ISRAEL ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (Hina) - Croatia and Israel established diplomatic relations on Thursday. A protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations was signed in the Israeli mission to the United Nations in New York by Croatian ambassador to the UN Ivan Simonovic and Israeli ambassador to the UN Dore Gold. With the signed protocol, Croatia and Israel, in hopes of developing relations in the best interests of their people, are establishing diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level on the basis of the universally accepted principles of international law, the Croatian permanent mission to the UN said in a statement. In a joint statement released after the signing ceremony, the delegations of the two countries said that they "concurred that cooperation between the two States has been developing in a satisfactory manner and they expressed their readiness and commitment to broaden their field of cooperation." A meeting of the foreign ministers of Croatia and Israel is scheduled to take place later this month. In August, Croatian Presidential Chief of Staff Hrvoje Sarinic and Israeli Foreign Ministry Director-General Eytan Bentsur headed delegations of the two countries in negotiations in Budapest which resulted in the announcement of a decision on August 21 to establish diplomatic ties. In a joint communique issued on that occasion, Croatia recalled its strong antifascist resistance movement during World War Two, and apologised for and condemned the Nazi crimes of the Holocaust and genocide over the Jewish people. Israel welcomed that statement by the Croatian government. (hina) vm 041915 MET sep 97