Croatian President in Hungary
President Stjepan Mesić visited Hungary on Saturday and during a meeting with Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom in Barcs thanked Hungary for its support of Croatia in its accession to NATO. After the meeting in the Hungarian frontier town President Mesić, in a statement to the Croatian and Hungarian press, also thanked President Solyom and the Hungarian Government for the support it provides to the Croatians living in Hungary. He added that Croatia also endeavoured to help Hungarians living in Croatia as much as it could, so that they might be a bridge of cooperation between the two countries.
Croatian President Mesić said that the two discussed energy issues and that he informed the Hungarian President of the topics discussed at a recent regional economic forum in Sarajevo. Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom thanked President Mesić for all the efforts he has invested during his two terms in office into the development of Hungarian-Croatian relations, the status of Hungarians in Croatia and of Croatians in Hungary, and the strengthening of regional contacts. Noting that the discussion had centred on energy supply issues, President Solyom said that it was in the interest of the region to be independent of imports from the east, i.e. from Russia, and that it was in the interest of both countries to link their energy systems, as regards the supply of electrical energy and natural gas.
He also noted that Mesić had told him that he intended to remain active in politics after his term in office as President was over and said he would like to see him continue working on improving Croatian-Hungarian relations.
On Saturday evening Presidents Mesić and Solyom were on hand for the celebrations of Croatian Day in Barcs. At the celebration Mesić said that relations between the two countries were "excellent" and that his presence was confirmation that Croatia was aware of its constitutional obligation to assist Croatians in other countries in preserving their national identity, culture and traditions.
Mišo Hepp, the president of the Croatian national self-administration in Hungary noted that these were the seventh Croatian Days in Hungary organised by the self-administration as the highest political body representing Croatians in Hungary and by the Federation of Croatians in Hungary, as an association. He said that there were currently some 80,000 Croatians living in Hungary.
Mesić on presidential pardons
Asked by reporters if he would be "openhanded" when it came to presidential pardons at the end of his term in office, President Mesić said that, "pardons were a sign of clemency to those who had met the conditions for it," and that the number of pardons issued did not depend on him, but rather on the facts established for those that submit requests for a pardon. Asked whether he would pardon General Mirko Norac, Mesić said that he did not know because, as he said, Norac would first have to submit a request, and that he had yet to be sentenced to an integral prison term for the two criminal proceedings that had been led against him. As concerns the possible pardon of Hrvoje Petrač, Mesić noted that the court had taken all the circumstances in consideration in pronouncing its verdict and that, if their were reasons for a pardon, the competent commission would "take that into consideration and make its decision."
(Hina)
