SARAJEVO, Sept 18 (Hina) - Croatia's Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Josip Vrbosic, met the secretary of the Bosnian Foreign Ministry, Fuad Sabeta, in Sarajevo on Thursday to inform him about Croatia's plan to declare an economic
zone in the Adriatic.
SARAJEVO, Sept 18 (Hina) - Croatia's Ambassador to Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Josip Vrbosic, met the secretary of the Bosnian
Foreign Ministry, Fuad Sabeta, in Sarajevo on Thursday to inform
him about Croatia's plan to declare an economic zone in the
Adriatic. #L#
The Bosnian Foreign Ministry quoted Vrbosic as saying that the
economic zone would be proclaimed most probably after the Croatian
parliament's foreign policy committee discussed the issue in late
October.
Vrbosic pointed to the environmental and economic aspects of the
Croatian government's initiative, as well as to the fact that
Croatia advocated the promotion of biological and environmental
protection of the Mediterranean, especially of the Adriatic.
Vrbosic also said the Croatian authorities were ready to cooperate
in the protection of the Adriatic with the Slovene government, as
well as with all other coastal countries.
A preparatory conference of the European Commission will be held in
Brussels in April next year to discuss the issue. The conference is
expected to define the new common European fishing policy, which is
to be adopted at a ministerial conference of the EU in Venice at the
end of next year.
Sabeta said it was necessary to introduce measures to protect the
marine environment and the whole of the Adriatic, and particularly
to prevent environmental disasters.
He said that Bosnia was definitely interested in the protection of
the Adriatic. Advocating good-neighbourly cooperation in the
region, he voiced hope that Croatia and Slovenia would reach
agreement through dialogue to mutual satisfaction.
(hina) rml