ZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Sunday received US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who had arrived for a short visit to Croatia, the President's Office said in a statement.
ZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Sunday
received US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who had arrived for a
short visit to Croatia, the President's Office said in a statement. #L#
Rumsfeld said the United States was interested in Croatia's admission
to NATO, stressing US support to Croatia on its path to NATO
membership.
The US defence secretary thanked Croatia for its support in the fight
against global terrorism and expressed hope that the Croatian
government would consider possibilities of Croatia's involvement in
Iraq.
Mesic underlined Croatia's role and assistance in the anti-terrorist
coalition and said that Croatia would consider possibilities of its
involvement in Iraq under UN leadership.
The talks also focused on overall cooperation between the two
countries, including the presence of American companies in highway
construction projects in Croatia.
Rumsfeld was accompanied by Ralf Frank, US Ambassador to Croatia;
General John Craddock, Senior Military Adviser to the Defence
Secretary; Mira Ricardel, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence; Dr
William Luti, Deputy Undersecretary of Defence for the Middle East and
South Asia; Bryan Whitman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence; Alan
Van Egmond, Director of the Department for the Balkans and regional
programmes of international security policy; Colonel David Allwine,
Military Attache to Croatia; Henry E. Kelley, Desk Officer in the
Office of the Defence Secretary; and Anthony Godfrey, First Secretary
in the US Embassy in Croatia.
Mesic was accompanied by Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic, Foreign
Minister Miomir Zuzul, Presidential Defence and Military Affairs
Adviser Petar Stipetic, Presidential Foreign Policy Adviser Ivica
Mastruko, Presidential Home Policy Adviser Igor Dekanic and
presidential assistant advisers Tomislav Car and First Lieutenant
Robert Baric, the statement said.
(Hina) vm