BULGARIAN PRESIDENT ADDRESSES CROATIAN PARLIAMENT SESSION

ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - Bulgaria's President Zhely Zhelev on Thursday addressed a joint session of both houses of the Croatian Parliament, expressing hope that his visit to Croatia would contribute to better understanding between the two countries. "Now that Croatia is independent, and both Bulgaria and Croatia are on the democratic road of development, we have all possibilities at our disposal to renew our sincere friendship from the past," Zhelev said. He mentioned a number of examples of good cooperation between Croatia and Bulgaria in history, giving several quotations from the book "Renewed Bulgaria" written by prominent Croatian political leader Stjepan Radic in 1913. "It is only natural that the Republic of Bulgaria was the first Balkan country to recognize the independence and sovereignty of Croatia as well as of Macedonia, Slovenia and Bosnia- Herzegovina. That act most clearly shows what we are aspiring to and what kind of democratic relations, European both in spirit and content, we want to be dominant on our peninsula," Zhelev said. Bulgaria has concentrated all its efforts on stable development in order to avoid its totalitarian legacy and wants to strengthen its democratic institutions, he added. "Since the very outset of the crisis in former Yugoslavia, the Republic of Bulgaria has supported a peaceful and just settlement. (...) We have always supported peace efforts of the international community, particularly those of the European Union and NATO, but at the same time we paid an incalculably high material and moral price for such a principled stance," he said. "I have already had the opportunity to welcome President Tudjman's resolutness and sagacity in taking the risk of peace in Dayton. (...) We hope that a just solution will also be found to other issues important for the successful and permanent resolution of the conflict. Bulgaria is again willing to make its contribution. It has expressed readiness to participate directly in "Operation Joint Endeavour" and is currently assessing parameters of that involvement. (...) "We do not conceal our interest in direct participation in the reconstruction of war-damaged areas. What's more, Bulgarian companies have certain advantages such as geographical proximity and traditional contacts," he said. Zhelev expressed hope that, after Wednesday's signing of a cooperation and friendship agreement, a package of new agreements would be signed soon and that the two countries would soon begin talks on free trade. The parliament session closed after Zhelev's speech. (hina) vm jn 181602 MET jan 96