CRO FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ITALY

ROME, July 29 (Hina) - The Monday talks between Croatian and Italian foreign ministers, Mate Granic and Lamberto Dini respectively, were estimated as "very propitious". Dini should visit the Croatian capital of Zagreb in September when several agreements on cooperation between Croatia and Italy should be signed, including an agreement on the protection of ethnic minorities, the Croatian in Italy and the Italian in Croatia, an agreement on economic cooperation and a basic agreement on friendship and cooperation, still in preparation. The Italian side supported the peaceful reintegration of eastern Slavonia into Croatia's constitutional system, while Granic pointed out that neither Belgrade was against it now. Italy would support Croatia to get closer to the European Union and NATO, while the two countries would also discuss joint stances in international organizations, such as the Central European Initiative. Dini said that Croatia was a Central European state and that it should be included into Western European integration currents. As regards the situation in the region of the former Yugoslavia, Dini said that it was necessary for Zagreb and Belgrade to have good relations since they were the capitals of two key states in the region. (hina) ha mm 291806 MET jul 96