New Croatian president visits Hungary

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, who took office in February, paid a one-day official visit to neighboring Hungary on Tuesday.

Josipovic was received by his Hungarian counterpart Laszlo Solyom, and held meetings with Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai and Speaker of Parliament Bela Katona as well as Viktor Orban, head of the conservative Fidesz party currently in opposition but widely expected to win next month's parliamentary elections.

Solyom called the visit a symbol of friendship and trust between the two countries and voiced his hope that Croatia would be able to become a full member of the European Union during Hungary's presidency in 2011.

Josipovic noted that EU membership depended in part on resolution of a border dispute between Croatia and Slovenia currently before an international court of arbitration.

Both Solyom and Josipovic focused on regional policy including construction of infrastructural links such as connecting their power, road and rail networks.

The Hungarian Speaker of Parliament also focused on Croatia's Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations at a meeting between the two men in the afternoon. Katona called Croatia's effort to join the EU an example that the other Balkan countries might follow, underlining the Hungarian parliament's multi-year support for Croatia in its integration effort.

Both Katona and Josipovic said they were committed to livening up economic relations, with a particular focus on joint efforts along the border between the two countries.

Speaking of his meeting with Josipovic, the opposition Fidesz leader also voiced his commitment to assisting Croatia in joining the EU. Hungary considers Croatia a strategic partner in energy security and in intensifying European community policies, Orban said.

At a meeting with the prime minister, Josipovic's last meeting of the day, Bajnai congratulated the new Croatian president on his recent election, underlined Croatia's strategic importance to Hungary as an economic partner, and called ties between the two countries "exemplary." He underlined Hungary's commitment to helping the countries of southeast Europe to join the European Union.

Source: Xinhua