BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 2337 HINA ZAGREB,01/16/97 NO OF PAGES: 7

BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 2337 HINA ZAGREB,01/16/97 NO OF PAGES: 7 CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER - STATEMENT ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman received Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi on Thursday, the President's Office said in a statement. Recalling that Italian President Cossiga had been the first head of state to visit independent Croatia, President Tudjman stressed the importance Croatia attached to its relations with Italy, expressing conviction that Prodi's visit would contribute to their further development. Since Croatia, like Italy, had throughout its history belonged to Central Europe and the Mediterranean, except for a period of time from the First World War to its independence, it was interested in establishing closer links with countries in those regions, Tudjman said, emphasizing the important role Italy played in the establishment of those links. Expressing support for Croatia's admission into intergovernmenta