ZAGREB, 7 Oct (Hina) - The improvement of bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia in 1998 was the main topic of a meeting of delegations of the two countries, held in Zagreb on Tuesday. The two sides described the meeting
as very useful.
ZAGREB, 7 Oct (Hina) - The improvement of bilateral cooperation
between Slovenia and Croatia in 1998 was the main topic of a meeting
of delegations of the two countries, held in Zagreb on Tuesday. The
two sides described the meeting as very useful. #L#
Croatia's Deputy Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Kresimir
Cosic, who headed the Croatian delegation, told reporters after the
meeting that the two delegations had agreed on some concrete steps,
that is, on a set of meetings on a high level.
According to Cosic, the talks also included the establishment
of regional multi-national forces. So far, soldiers from Italy,
Slovenia and Hungary will participate in a trilateral brigade.
However, this form of organisation of multi-national forces is not
closed, he said.
Croatia expects in the future to participate in such a form of
defence-security cooperation, Cosic said.
He recalled the good relations between the Croatian Defence
Ministry and Hungary, last summer's visit of the Croatian Defence
Minister to Italy and the expected signing of an agreement on
military cooperation between Croatia and Italy as well as the
upcoming visit of the Austrian Defence Minister to Croatia.
The head of the Slovene delegation, Deputy Defence Minister
Teodor Gersak, confirmed that Croatian and Slovene stands concerning
regional and bilateral questions are very close.
He stressed that the Slovene armed forces have been harmonised
with NATO's strategic concept from 1991, which says that the
priority tasks of an army are the strengthening of peace and
stability and the establishment of cooperation with neighbouring
states. Today's visit to Croatia is in line with that concept,
Gersak said.
(hina) jn rm
071545 MET oct 97