ZAGREB, May 16 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and visiting Hungarian President Arpad Goenz said on Thursday that relations between Croatia and Hungary were developing to mutual satisfaction.
ZAGREB, May 16 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and
visiting Hungarian President Arpad Goenz said on Thursday that
relations between Croatia and Hungary were developing to mutual
satisfaction. #L#
"I can say with great pleasure that relations between the
independent and democratic Croatia and Hungary have been developing
favourably to date. These relations are of close friendship and
understanding in all important issues", Tudjman told a press
conference after talks with his Hungarian counterpart in Zagreb.
He pointed out that Croatia belonged to "the Central-European
integration between the Baltic and the Adriatic Sea", with which it
had historical and cultural ties.
"Croatia does not belong to the Balkans, where it was placed
after World War One and where some European factors are trying to
bring it back to through some economic integrations", Tudjman said,
adding that in this regard Croatia had full support of the
Hungarian president and government.
Tudjman informed his Hungarian counterpart of the process of
peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area. He said that
during the occupation the ethnic Hungarian minority from the area
also suffered, adding that he hoped the reintegration process would
be completed successfully.
Tudjman also said he was satisfied with successful cooperation
between Croatian and Hungarian oil companies.
"We must evaluate our 800-year-long common history", Hungarian
President Goenz said, adding that "both countries are in the
same region and their efforts to join European integration
processes are the same."
Goenz said that Hungary was interested in building roads
between Hungary and Croatia, which was not only of regional, but
also of European interest.
Goenz said that he and President Tudjman also spoke about the
return to Croatia of ethnic Hungarians who had been forced to seek
temporary refuge in Hungary due to Serb aggression against Croatia.
Their talks also focused on the opening of cultural and
educational centres and school classes in the Hanguarian language.
Goenz said that the consequences of the war hindered Croatia's
entry into European integrations. "I am aware of the difficulties,
but also of the fact that Croatia can overcome them. We shall do
all we can to help", Goenz said.
Later on, Goenz went to Okucani to visit Hungarian engineers
serving in the NATO-led peace Implementation Force (IFOR).
(hina) ha
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