TUDJMAN RECEIVES HUNGARIAN PREMIER

ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman today received Hungarian Premier Gyula Horn, who was accompanied by Defence Minister Gyorgy Keleti and Hungarian Ambassador to Croatia Zsolt Gabor Szalay, a statement from the Presidential Office said. #L# The talks focused on overall bilateral relations. The high officials expressed wish that the already friendly political relations be accompanied by stronger economic links and that the expert cooperation be improved with the aim of realizing joint projects. The talks especially stressed the importance of cooperation in traffic infrastructure as well as of the road and railway linking between Croatia and Hungary. President Tudjman and his guests also discussed the possibility of establishing a customs free zone in Rijeka. The Croatian President stressed the unacceptability of linking Croatia's joining international integration processes with the revival of a south-Slavic or Balkan 'union', which, he said, was still being advocated by some European political and intellectual circles. Croatia favoured good relations with its neighbours in the region at the bilateral level, but those relations should be based exclusively on mutual recognition of sovereign states, he said. Stressing that Hungary and Croatia had many mutual interests and problems, Gyula Horn said he shared the Croatian standpoint as regards the establishment of a Balkan union or confederation, and promised Hungary's full support for Croatia in joining the European integration processes. At the end of the meeting, Horn thanked President Tudjman for Croatia's cooperation with and help to the Hungarian soldiers who are located in Okucani. Today's talks between the Croatian President and the Hungarian delegation were also attended by the head of the Presidential Office, Ivo Sanader, Vice Premier Ivica Kostovic and Defence Minister Gojko Susak, the statement said. (hina) rm 031322 MET feb 96