VELIKI BRIJUN, SEPTEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan arrived in Croatia on a two-day official visit on September 7. According to a report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA President's Press Office, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsian, Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia Arsen Ghazarian, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Martin Sargsian, other officials, businessmen are included in the delegation led by S. Sargsyan. After the official meeting ceremony that took place on Veliki Brijun Island, at the local White House, S. Sargsyan and Croatian President Stjepan Mesic had a tete-a-tete talk, during which the sides discussed issues regarding cooperation between the two countries, international agenda, other issues of mutual interest. The Presidents highly evaluated the current level of political dialogue between Armenia and Croatia, stressed that there is a mutual political will to push forward the cooperation in various spheres. S. Sargsyan said that fulfillment of the agreements reached during Croatian President's official visit to Armenia is underway. There is no open problem between the two countries and the past way of the two peoples is very much alike, which contributes to deepening of cooperation. S. Sargsyan positively evaluated the circumstance that there are a great number of businessmen in the delegation headed by him and at the September 8 business forum the sides will have a possibility to discuss concrete projects and initiatives regarding cooperation in various spheres of economy. S. Sargsyan also attached importance to cooperation between the two countries within various EU formats and initiatives. S. Mesic gave assurance that deepening of cooperation between Armenia and Croatia will contribute to expansion of contacts between the Balkan and South Caucasian regions. He presented the past way of his country since independence, the current agenda of Croatia's foreign policy, provided information about the process of membership to the European Union. The prospects of development of cooperation in the sphere of tourism were discussed at the meeting. An agreement was reached, according to which one of Armenian regions should start cooperation with one of Croatia's leading tourist regions, at the same time Armenian students will have a possibility to get specialized at Croatian universities in this sphere. The sides also discussed prospects of implementation of joint programs in the sphere of agriculture. The sides also agreed over coordinated cooperation at international structures. To lay cooperation between the two countries on institutional bases the Presidents of Armenia and Croatia attached importance to the creation of intergovernmental commission, which will attend to fulfillment of all reached agreements and promotion of new spheres of cooperation. S. Sargsyan presented to his Croatian counterpart Armenia's vision of the latest developments in Armenian-Turkish political dialogue and normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations, Nagorno Karabakh settlement negotiations process. S. Mesic welcomed RA President's initiative to normalize the relations with Turkey and expressed confidence that normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, in its turn, will result in strengthening of peace and security in the region. After the private talk the bilateral negotiations continued in an extended staff. In the second half of the day S. Sargsyan participated in an official dinner served in his honor, visited an exhibition dedicated to renowned politician Tito opened on Veliki Brijun Island.

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