Croatian parliament speaker says Croatia one of Mediterranean positive stories

Zagreb/Marseilles - Croatia is one of the positive Mediterranean stories as in only 15 years from the end of the war and peaceful reintegration of the Danube River Region, the country is on the threshold of te European Union, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said at a summit meeting of parliament presidents from Union for Mediterranean member-states, in Marseille on Sunday.

"Croatia is, among else, a Mediterranean country, and its interests are strong in that area, notably it is interested in the preservation of the environment and purity of the sea," Leko said at the meeting attended by heads of parliaments of the 43 member states of this international organisation.

The meeting in Marseilles was the first meeting of parliament presidents from Union for Mediterranean member-states. The Union for Mediterranean is a regional initiative set up in Paris in 2008 During France's EU presidency. The summit was organised at the initiative of European Parliament President Martin Schulz, who also chairs the Union for the Mediterranean's parliamentary assembly. The participants adopted a declaration which says that parliaments of member-states were a guarantee of political and economic progress of the region, political dialogue, economic cooperation and free trade which are also the pillars of Euro-Mediterranean relations. (Hina)