ATHENS, Feb 27 (Hina) - By improving their economic and regional cooperation, Croatia and Greece wish to contribute to establishing stability and peace in South-East Europe and facilitate the region's drawing closer to Euro-Atlantic
associations, Croatian and Greek Prime Ministers Ivica Racan and Kostas Simitis respectively said after official talks in Athens on Tuesday.
ATHENS, Feb 27 (Hina) - By improving their economic and regional
cooperation, Croatia and Greece wish to contribute to establishing
stability and peace in South-East Europe and facilitate the
region's drawing closer to Euro-Atlantic associations, Croatian
and Greek Prime Ministers Ivica Racan and Kostas Simitis
respectively said after official talks in Athens on Tuesday. #L#
"A democratic and stable Croatia and a democratic and stable Greece
as two end points in the South and North of the region wish to
contribute to the region's stability and peace with their
cooperation," Racan said after a one-hour meeting.
Croatia has an important role as regards peace and stability in the
region, which was confirmed by last year's Zagreb Summit, Simitis
said. He said his country was ready to help Croatia draw closer to
the European Union and NATO and welcomed progress in Croatia's
negotiations with the EU on a Stabilisation and Association
Agreement.
Both premiers agreed the visit of the Croatian delegation would
contribute to the development of mutual relations, especially
economic ones, and Simitis announced a visit by Greek President
Konstantinos Stephanopoulos to Croatia in May.
After the talks, Croatia's Transport Minister Alojz Tusek and his
Greek counterpart Christos Verelis signed an agreement on air
traffic, which is soon to enable direct flights between the two
countries.
Relations between Croatia and Greece have always been very good but
the war in former Yugoslavia prevented them from being excellently
developed, the Greek premier said.
The two officials agreed that there were still many unresolved
problems in the region, but there was no longer the danger of them
being resolved by war.
Simitis repeated Greece's view that there should be no border
changes in the region and that the current situation should be
maintained.
Croatian and Greek business people expressed interest in
increasing trade, especially in the field of power production,
agriculture and food industry. The presence of a large delegation
of Croatian business people in Athens should contribute to that,
Racan said. Along with Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic, the
delegation headed by Prime Minister Racan also includes
representatives from 16 big Croatian companies.
Both countries support the project of construction of the Adriatic-
Ionian Highway and its inclusion in the network of European traffic
corridors, said Racan. He stressed Croatia's and Greece's
contribution to the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative "as a strategic
idea important for the region and the entire Europe."
The Greek premier said that he, Prime Minister Racan and Swedish
counterpart Goeran Persson would tomorrow discuss the improvement
of Croatia-EU relations and the region's relationship to
Brussels.
This afternoon, Racan will visit the Athens Chamber of Trade and
Industry, where he will attend a meeting of Croatian and Greek
business people. In the evening, the Croatian premier will meet
President Stephanopoulos and Parliament Speaker Apostolos
Kaklamanis.
The Croatian delegation also includes European Integration
Minister Ivan Jakovcic and Deputy Foreign Minister Vesna
Cvjetkovic-Kurelec.
(hina) rml