Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-01-15

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Political relations between Greece and Croatia 'excellent'

[01] Political relations between Greece and Croatia 'excellent'

Karamanlis who arrived in Zagreb Sunday night on the first leg of a visit to Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia, said that the bilateral political relations between Greece and Croatia were excellent, bust stressed that additional efforts needed to be made so that their bilateral economic relations would reach the excellent level of their political relations.

Croatia, Karamanlis said, was ahead of the Western Balkan countries in the course towards their incopration into the Euro-Atlantic institutions.

Greece, he added, stood at the side of Croatia on its road to European Union accession, and considered "significant" the progress and reforms that Croatia has made in order to complete its accession negotiations.

With respect to the membership criteria for jointing NATO, Karamanlis said that Croatia has marked substantial progress, adding that Greece looked foward to the prospect of an invitation being extended to Croatia during the next NATO summit in 2008.

Karamanlis said that he and Sanader had also discussed the developments in the Balkans, with particular emphasis on Kosovo, noting that Croatia's role was acquiring particular importance at this time, as it currently chaired the SE Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP).

"Looking back on Croatia's 15-year course, from its establishment during the turbulent period of the break-up of Yugoslavia to the present, which finds Croatia on the threshhold of the European Union, I cannot but express my admiration and congratulations for the progress accomplished," Karamanlis said.

Sanader, in turn, said that Greece comprised a firm supporter of Croatia's Euro-Atlantic course, and that premier Karamanlis had committed himself to backing Croatia for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Sanader also said he accepted an invitation by Karamanlis to visit Greece in the first half of 2008, stressing that he would be accompanied by businessmen and financial officials on that visit.

The Croatian prime minister further informed Karamanlis that his country will have completed its preparations for joining the EU and NATO by end-2008.

Premier Karamanlis later met with Croatian president Stipe Mesic, while afterwards he addressed a panegyric meeting of the Cabinet marking the 15th anniversary of Croatia's founding.

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