MINISTER GRANIC CALLS FOR STRONGER TIES BETWEEN CEI AND EU

( Editorial: --> 4882 ) ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic received the general director of the Executive Secretariat of the Central-European Initiative (CEI), Ambassador Paul Hartig, on Thursday in Zagreb. Minister Granic outlined the activities Croatia, as the presiding country this year, planned for this year. A meeting of foreign ministers is to be held on June 5 and 6 at Brijuni, while prime ministers will meet by the end of the year in Zagreb, Minister Granic announced, stressing that Croatia attached great importance to these events. Minister Granic also called for a strengthening of ties between the CEI and the European Union, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The goal was to make information and technical assistance more available to CEI members, both those about to join the EU and others, to facilitate their adjustment to EU practices and requirements. Ambassador Hartig listened to Croatia's proposals with great interest and promised the Executive Secretariat's full support to the proposed activities. (hina) mm as/mb , 262021 MET feb 98