RUSSIAN AND CROATIAN CAPITALS SIGN COOPERATION PROTOCOL








MOSCOW, March 13 /from RIA Novosti's Yevgenia Yakuta/ - Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and his Zagreb counterpart, Milan Bandic, have signed a cooperation protocol.


	The document, signed in Moscow Tuesday, envisages cooperation of the two capitals in economics, science and technology, and culture. It is noted in the protocol that the sides intend to create a favourable environment for the development of cooperation in the field of entrepreneurship, city planning, industry, science and technology as well as environmental protection.


	Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Moscow Mayor remarked that the two capitals should actively develop intermunicipal relations since all big cities have similar problems. According to Luzhkov, Moscow and Zagreb intend to step up their cooperation in industry and commerce as well as "cultural and human interaction". He stressed that being Slavonic nations, Russia and Croatia have a lot in common.


	Bandic, in his turn, noted that the Russian and the Croatian capitals alike are inclined to cooperate and continue dialogue. "There's no alternative to this," the Zagreb Mayor stressed. He invited Luzhkov to visit Zagreb this next summer.