ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić and her Kosovo counterpart Enver Hoxhaj discussed in Pristina on Friday bilateral cooperation in Euro-Atlantic integration, economic cooperation and the position of the Croatian and Kosovo minori

"Croatia supports Kosovo on the road to the EU and NATO", Pusić told a news conference, stressing that the reform process each country had to undergo was very important.

"From our experience, I can say that it's very good practice in institution- and state-building", she said, adding that for Croatia the issue of Kosovo's independence was a "closed discussion".

"Kosovo is obviously an independent country. It functions as such and we want Kosovo and the other countries in the region to find a political model for making progress and functioning as well as possible", said Pusić.

She went on to say that Croatia's foreign policy focused on the region, the European Union and the South Mediterranean.

"If all goes well, Croatia will join the EU on 1 July 2013, but it won't be moving anywhere and for us, the region is an absolutely key topic", she said, adding that Croatia was not nor wanted to be tired of the region but that assuming responsibility for the region's stability and relations with other countries was its "added value".

"Croatia's interest is to live in a stable region... I think Croatia is politically mature enough to understand that it's important to achieve your goal, which is stability and normal relations between the countries in the region."

Pusić went on to say that Croatia did not just want to make a positive first impression and show that it had achieved the largest progress in reforms. She said Croatia did not want to stand out for what it had gone through, which was "often very tough, including very painful reforms", but that it wanted to cooperate with other countries.

"If that's a good platform, and I think it is, for developing good relations between Serbia and Kosovo as well, we are here for you", she said.

Speaking of Croatia-Kosovo economic cooperation, Pusić said there were many common interests and possible common gains. She said the cooperation should be stepped up and "we will work on that", adding that the two countries' prime ministers would discuss this next month. "There are many interesting political and economic projects ahead of us".

Pusić said she was glad the Croat community in Kosovo would be recognised in key state documents, voicing hope that it would also be represented in parliament.

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