TRIPOLI, Aug 13 (Hina) - Croatia is offering Libya partnership, not one-off deals. It is offering a transfer of knowledge and technology because Libya can become Croatia's gateway to other African countries and Croatia Libya's gateway
to Europe, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on Wednesday, addressing an economic forum in Tripoli.
TRIPOLI, Aug 13 (Hina) - Croatia is offering Libya partnership, not
one-off deals. It is offering a transfer of knowledge and
technology because Libya can become Croatia's gateway to other
African countries and Croatia Libya's gateway to Europe, Croatian
President Stjepan Mesic said on Wednesday, addressing an economic
forum in Tripoli. #L#
Mesic said the existing level of trade between Croatia and Libya was
far below their potential, and mentioned possible cooperation in
the oil industry, infrastructure construction, shipbuilding,
agriculture, the food industry, pharmacy and medicine.
"We have offered Libya specific projects in each of these areas," he
said.
Croatia and Libya have no outstanding political issues and
bilateral relations have significantly strengthened in the past
two years, Mesic said.
He said he was confident that during this visit the two countries
successfully agreed on key preconditions for strengthening
economic relations.
Croatia and Libya have signed several bilateral agreements before,
and have initiated talks on agreements on double taxation avoidance
and technical, cultural and scientific cooperation.
During their third meeting yesterday, Mesic and his Libyan
counterpart, Muammar al-Qaddafi, agreed that a ship with Croatian
consumer products for sale would sail along the Libyan coast from
Tripoli to Bengazi in November.
A delegation of Libyan businessmen will visit Croatia in September.
A joint commission for cooperation led by the two countries' deputy
foreign ministers will soon be formed.
A Croatian embassy was opened in Tripoli on Wednesday night, which
will initially be run by an interim charge d'affaires.
(hina) lml