CRO FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES NORWEGIAN DIPLOMAT EGELAND

ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - Deputy to the Croatian Foreign Minister, Ivo Simonovic, on Monday received the State Secretary at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, Jan Egeland, a statement from the Croatian Foreign ministry said. #L# The talks focused on political and economic relations between the two countries. Both men expressed their support for expanding economic trade which is the basic priority for the development of relations between the two countries. Simonovic informed Egeland about the situation in the region, stressing the importance of the peaceful reintegration of the Croatzian Danubian area into the Croatian legal and constitutional system. Simonovic stressed that Croatia supported the Bosnian Federation and that it would continue to insist on the Dayton peace accords being fully implemented. Simonovic thanked Egeland for the valuable humanitarean help sent from Norway to Croatia in the last few years. Egeland expressed his satisfaction with the recent successful visit of the Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic to Norway, describing the visit as a good precondition for further relations between the two countries. Egeland announced that a Norwegian ambassador to Croatia would be appointed soon. He added that representatives of the Norwegian government and humanitary organizations were participating in the reconstruction of a hospital in Vinkovci. Egeland supported Croatia's efforts to be included in the European integration processes and offered to support Croatia concerning itsw admittance into the European Council and in the Partnership for Peace Program. Participating in the talks was also the deputy to the head of the government Office for Refugees and Displaced Persons, Damir Zoric. Egeland was also received by the Development and Reconstruction Minister, Jure Radic. (hina) lm 221845 MET apr 96