NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Hina) - Croatia and Italy signed in New York on Thursday an agreement on the application of a contract on social and pension insurance, therefore making legal the transfer of pensions to the citizens of the two
countries.
NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Hina) - Croatia and Italy signed in New York on
Thursday an agreement on the application of a contract on social and
pension insurance, therefore making legal the transfer of pensions
to the citizens of the two countries. #L#
Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and Italian Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi held talks at the UN headquarters on Thursday,
ending an almost two-year-long period of political silence between
the two countries- Both said there was no valid reason for the
silence, since relations between Croatia and Italy had not been
burdened by open issues.
A mixed working group could soon solve the property issue of so-
called optants -- ethnic Italians who left Croatia and Slovenia for
Italy during World War II. The Croatian government has already
earmarked US$35 million for pension compensation to optants.
Picula on Thursday also held talks with Yugoslav Foreign Minister
Goran Svilanovic. The two ministers are holding frequent talks with
the aim of reaching an agreement on a temporary border regime.
Svilanovic said that equal attention was paid to the border on the
north and south. Both agreed that the talks were progressing well,
although neither wished to confirm that the UN observers' mission
on Prevlaka peninsula was in its final mandate.
"That would depend on the views of the UN Secretary-General, Kofi
Annan, and an assessment by the Security Council," Picula said. He
added that a coming session of a mixed working group for borders
could make the necessary progress.
On the first day of the 57th annual UN General Assembly session,
Picula also met US State Secretary's assistant, Elizabeth Jones.
The two confirmed that relations between Croatia and the United
States were mature. They also spoke about the situation in the
region of Southeast Europe and Croatia's participation in the anti-
terrorist coalition, as well as Croatia's assistance to the
stabilisation of the situation in Afghanistan.
Jones recognised Croatia's need to judge exemption from the
jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) based on its
own interests and in line with the stances of its European
partners.
Picula said the Croatian government understood America's need to,
based on its role globally, protect its citizens from possible
politically motivated trials in an appropriate manner.
(hina) lml