Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman
Jerusalem, August 1, 2000 Meeting between FM Levy and Deputy PM of Croatia In a meeting which took place today (August 1) in Jerusalem between Foreign Minister David Levy and a high-level Croatian delegation headed by the Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Goran Granic, it was agreed that teams of the two Foreign Ministries will meet in the near future to identify areas of mutual interest for cooperation, and to outline a plan for advancing such cooperation. Israel and Croatia Enhance Ties
The first action of the team will be to formulate an agreement for visa exemptions between the two countries. The joint team of the Foreign Ministries will serve as a liaison body for the promotion of tourism and cooperation in the fields of technology, academia and research.
At the beginning of their meeting, Foreign Minister Levy welcomed the new direction of the Croatian government, which Israel has been following with encouragement and hope. Levy emphasized that the declarations of the present Croatian government regarding Croatian history and the fascist policy of the Ustase regime during World War II period have been welcomed in Israel, and that Israel and Croatia are working together to ensure that the horrors of antisemitism and fascism do not recur.
Minister Levy and his guest signed an economic-commercial agreement and an agreement for the protection of investments between the two countries. At the end of the meeting, the Croatian delegation which included the Foreign Minister, the Defense Minister and the Finance Minister, invited Minister Levy to visit Zagreb.