ZAGREB, Jan 28 (Hina) - Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase on Wednesday visits Zagreb, where he is to meet the highest state officials.
ZAGREB, Jan 28 (Hina) - Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase on
Wednesday visits Zagreb, where he is to meet the highest state
officials. #L#
Nastase and his host, PM Ivica Racan, will attend the opening of a
Croatian-Romanian economic forum at the Croatian Chamber of
Commerce.
Racan had already met Nastase in Bucharest last March, at a meeting
of the Vilnius (V-10) group of countries, which at the time were
aspiring to join NATO. The two officials then stated that political
relations between their countries were very good as was their
cooperation on the international scene, given similar strategic
goals - admission to NATO and the European Union, however, their
economic cooperation needed improvement.
Last year's trade between the two countries totalled USD27 million
and Croatian exports accounted for a mere fifth.
In the meantime, Bucharest was invited to join NATO at the summit in
Prague last November and the country is expected to join the
alliance in 2004.
The two countries completed negotiations on a free trade agreement
at the summit of premiers of the Central European Free Trade
Agreement (CEFTA) in Bratislava last September, which was the last
precondition for Croatia's full membership in the CEFTA. Croatia
signed an agreement on joining the CEFTA in Zagreb last December.
Zagreb and Bucharest promote multilateral cooperation through a
number of regional activities, including those involving the
Danube basin and South-East European countries.
(hina) rml sb