PRESIDENT MESIC HOLDS TALKS WITH MACEDONIAN COUNTERPART

ZAGREB, Nov 23 (Hina) - The Zagreb Summit, agreement on stabilisation and association with the EU, bilateral relations, succession issues to the former Yugoslavia, the Stability Pact and the CARDS programme were focuses of talks held Thursday night between Croatian President Stipe Mesic and his Macedonian counterpart Boris Trajkovski. Trajkovski arrived in Zagreb to attend the Zagreb international conference on Friday, heading a delegation which will sign an agreement on stabilisation and association with the EU. Trajkovski said the Summit was an opportunity to create conditions for a new European policy towards the region, and the signing of the stabilisation and association agreement is a new chapter in Macedonia's development. Political relations between Macedonia and Croatia at "at the highest level", Mesic said, adding economic cooperation required a stimulus. He announced Croatia would use Macedonian experience in negotiations on accession into the European Union, but stressed Croatia advocated an individual approach of countries who fulfill their commitments. Mesic announced Croatia and Macedonia expected that on the margins of the Summit they would receive insight into the details on the financial assistance from funds of the Stability pact and CARDS programme, and receive information when the resources would be executable. The two presidents informed reporters that the two countries' governments were drawing up a document on bilateral strategic regional cooperation, which would come out from the process of stabilisation and association to the EU. (hina) lml