CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES AUSTRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

ZAGREB, Feb 22 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Thursday received Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel, the Presidential Office said in a statement. Schuessel was accompanied by Ambassador to Croatia Andreas Berlakovich, Chamber of Commerce President Leopold Maderthaner and Foreign Ministry Political Director Peter Hohenfellner. Schuessel, who is also a vice-chancellor, informed the President about contructive and successful talks his delegation had held with Croatian authorities on overall economic and political cooperation between the two countries. Schuessel said that this visit to Croatia was his first trip abroad in his capacity as foreign minister. "Peace is now within reach and Austria wants to make use of such a new and positive atmosphere to expand the existing friendly relations with the Republic of Croatia," he said. The talks also focused on the peaceful reintegration of the Danubian region into Croatia's constitutional and legal system, the process of establishing the Croat-Moslem Federation in Bosnia- Herzegovina and the implementation of the Dayton peace accords. Schuessel expressed Austria's full support to the Croatian policy of normalization of relations and establishment of a new international order in the region. Both sides stressed the need for Croatia's admission to European integration processes and good neighbourly relations between all countries that had emerged from former Yugoslavia. Attempts at creating some sort of a Balkan or South Slav union were described as unacceptable. Tudjman thanked Austria for its overall support since 1990, particularly for humanitarian aid it had provided during the Croatian Homeland War. Stressing historical ties between the Croatian and Austrian people, Tudjman expressed hope that bilateral cooperation would continue at all levels and that Austria would continue to support efforts in search and implementation of a lasting and just political settlement to the crisis in the region. The Croatian officials attending the talks included Presidential Chief of Staff Ivo Sanader, Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Presidential Foreign Affairs Adviser Zeljko Matic and Ambassador to Austria Milan Ramljak, the statement concluded. (hina) vm jn 222341 MET feb 96