CROATIA'S ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART

MOSCOW, May 20 (Hina) - Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Hido Biscevic met his Russian counterpart Nikolai Afanasievski in Moscow on Monday for talks on political and economic issues. The issues included the peaceful reintegration of the remaining occupied area of eastern Croatia, the implementation of the Dayton peace accords in Bosnia, the normalization of relations between Zagreb and Belgrade, and Croatia's membership bid for NATO's Partnership for Peace programme. Biscevic stressed that Croatia opposed any integrations in the Balkans and that it was firmly committed to joining Euro- Atlantic alliances. Zagreb expected Russia to take a more balanced approach towards Croatia in international organizations, he said. Biscevic also raised the issue of Russia and Croatia signing agreements on establishing trade offices and the issue of succession to the former Yugoslavia. Biscevic arrived in Moscow on Sunday as a member of the Croatian government delegation headed by Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa. Matesa was scheduled to begin talks with Russian Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin at midday on Monday. (hina) vm 201142 MET may 96