DAVOS: MESIC SPEAKS ABOUT ADRIATIC-IONIAN HIGHWAY PROJECT

DAVOS, Jan 29 (Hina) - Addressing a Balkan Task Force meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Sunday, Croatian President Stipe Mesic spoke about the Adriatic-Ionian Highway project. The highway would connect countries in the region, from Italy to Greece. Speaking briefly to the press after the meeting, President Mesic said his proposal was heard but that he was waiting for an answer. "Of all the proposals, congresses and similar formal signings of agreements and all that has been done thus far, more valuable is the construction of a highway from the Italian border, across Slovenia, Croatia, BH (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Montenegro, Albania, to Greece," he said. In his address at the closed-door session, he reminded the heads of states of the region of the history of association of the present- day European Union. The successful model of connecting European countries should be applied to Southeast Europe as well, he told the meeting, which was also attended by investors like Linda Hal, Soros, Adam and Andersen, Sunmicro System, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. European association began with a community for coal and steel, after which all countries were connected with excellent highways, Mesic said. In Davos, the Croatian president attended a three-day World Economic Forum which closed on Sunday. (hina) ha