SLOVAKIAN, CROATIAN PREMIERS PLEASED WITH RELATIONS BETWEEN TWO CO

CO $ UNTRIES BRATISLAVA, Jan 29 (Hina) - Croatia's Premier Zlatko Matesa, who is on a one-day visit to Bratislava, and his Slovakian counterpart Vladimir Meciar, said on Wednesday that relations between the two countries were good and described possibilities of cooperation as great. After the Bratislava talks the two premiers signed a joint statement, which is evidence of political will to further economic cooperation and step up the admission of Croatia to the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) In the statement Matesa and his host agreed that negotiations on concluding a treaty on free trade between the two countries should be stepped up so that the treaty could come into force as soon as possible. Croatia should sign bilateral agreements on free trade with each of CEFTA member-countries, sign an agreement with the EU to become its associate member, and become a member-country of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in order to be a full member-country of the CEFTA. Matesa said he had notified Slovakian Premier of Croatia's stance that it was not willing to participate in any regional associations based on institutional links between southeastern European countries. Croatia appreciated Slovakia's contribution to peace processes in the region and participation of a Slovakian battalion in the UNTAES in the Croatian Danubian area, Matesa said at a joint news conference after the meeting with Meciar. The Slovakian battalion would remain in the Croatian Danubian area until the completion of the peace process, Slovakian Premier told the news conference and added that his country was eager to help Croatia to remove consequences of the war conflict. The two premiers also considered cooperation in culture, science and education. Croatia's Labour and Social Welfare Minister Joso Skara and his Slovakian counterpart, Olga Koltoseva, on Wednesday signed an agreement on social insurance. (hina) jn mš 291545 MET jan 97