POLAND WANTS MILITARY COOPERATION WITH CROATIA

WARSAW, Mar 19 (Hina) - Polish Defense Minister Stanislaw Dobrzanski on Wednesday expressed his desire for the development of military cooperation with Croatia, in accordance with principles similar in western European countries. After his talks with Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Dobrzanski announced the possibility of meetings between the defense ministers of the two countries, which could result in the signing of an agreement on bilateral military cooperation, in accordance with the principles of NATO, which both Croatia and Poland wished to join. Dobrzanski supported the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area, hoping it would soon be completed. "Poland participated in that process (with 53 parachutists) with complete confidence, in order that a lasting peace and stability might be achieved", he said. Granic expressed gratitude for Poland's participation in the UNTAES peace mission, pointing out that after the elections (13 April), a military engagement in that area would no longer be necessary. Granic and Dobrzanski further discussed the expansion of NATO. The Croatian Foreign Minister is later to meet with Polish President Aleksandar Kwasniewski and the presidents of the Polish Parliament. (hina) ha 191141 MET mar 97