CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES SECI COORDINATOR

( Editorial: --> 5892 ) ZAGREB, May 22 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Friday received the coordinator of the Southeastern European Cooperation Initiative (SECI), Erhard Busek. The talks focused on Croatia's participation in the SECI projects. It is SECI's current priority to facilitate trade by harmonising regulations and modernising border crossings in the region, Busek said. Granic stressed that Croatia (which is not a member of the Initiative) would continue to actively participate at an expert level in all projects which were of special interest for Croatia. Granic informed Busek about the situation in Croatia, and about steps the government was taking in the implementation of the process of individual return of persons who had left Croatia. Busek applauded Croatia's positive role in the normalisation of the situation in the region. (hina) lm jn 221623 MET may 98