Minister Picula spoke with Mr. Li Zhaoxing, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China...

Mr. Tonino Picula, the Croatian Foreign Minister, spoke today with Mr. Li Zhaoxing, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. In a one-hour talk, Minister Picula expressed his sympathy for victims who died of atypical pneumonia (SARS), and offered assistance of the Republic of Croatia in combating this illness, forwarding antibiotics, and sending a group of epidemiologists on the ground, within the programme of the World Health Organisation. At its next session, the Government will discuss this humanitarian project in detail.

Bilateral relations between the two countries will continue to advance, regardless of the current circumstances which Minister Picula believes to be only temporary. There are no unresolved issues between the Republic of Croatia and the People's Republic of China, only a possibility for further advancement of cooperation in various fields.

Minister Zhaoxing informed Minister Picula in much detail about trilateral talks (China, the USA, Korea) and the engagement of the People's Republic of China in reducing the risk of nuclear weapons. He emphasised that both countries have a significant responsibility for stability in their respective regions, and congratulated the Republic of Croatia on its success in the process of joining the EU which is a signal to other countries from the region.

Finally, he informed Minister Picula that today, 27 more persons contracted SARS, which is the lowest rate of spread of this disease lately. China continues its efforts to restrict the area where the disease is spreading.

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