Addressing reporters after the Norwegian and Croatian state delegations held talks at his office, Josipovic said that Norway served as an excellent example of how a country which is not an EU member "lives a European life."

"It is therefore beyond doubt that once Croatia joins the EU, new possibilities of cooperation will open up, thanks to the special relations Norway has with the EU," Josipovic said.

He went on to say that relations between the two countries had been exceptionally good ever since World War II, when some Croatian prisoners enjoyed the sympathy of the Norwegian people during a deportation carried out by the Nazis.

Those relations have remained excellent to the present day, because Norway strongly supported Croatia's independence and its admission to NATO, as well as its EU membership bid, he said.

An important topic of today's talks was the strengthening of economic cooperation, Josipovic said, adding that the crown of those efforts was a Croatian-Norwegian business forum, to be held in Zagreb later in the day.

The Norwegian king and the entire Norwegian delegation were particularly interested in the situation in Southeast Europe and in regional cooperation, calling for its strengthening, said Josipovic.

Recalling Norway's financial and other assistance in a number of projects in Croatia, Josipovic said that on Friday he would attend with the Norwegian royal couple the opening of the maritime innovation centre iNavis, a joint Norwegian-Croatian project to be inaugurated in the coastal city of Sibenik.

King Harald V confirmed to the press that the two countries had excellent relations, recalling that Norway had been cooperating closely with Croatia since the country gained independence, always with the goal of contributing to its social and economic progress and supporting its integration with Euro-Atlantic structures.

Croatia has been developing at a surprisingly fast pace in recent years and that must serve as encouragement to other countries in the region, he said.

The Norwegian king said today's Norwegian-Croatian business forum would confirm the significant potential for strengthening the economic cooperation between the two countries in various areas, such as renewable energy sources and environmental protection technologies.

He recalled that Croatia and Norway shared a long maritime tradition and that the maritime sector had always been at the centre of bilateral relations.

Many Norwegian ships were built in Croatian shipyards and Croatian maritime officers serve in the Norwegian merchant fleet, he said.

Speaking of the maritime innovations centre to be opened in Sibenik, King Harald V expressed hope it would be a place where Croatia and Norway would be able to prove their expertise in the maritime sector.

Noting that ties between the two peoples were constantly growing stronger, King Harald V said that last year alone more than 100,000 Norwegians visited Croatia.

After an official lunch hosted by President Josipovic and his wife Tatjana in honour of the Norwegian royal couple, King Harald V was expected to visit the Croatian parliament and government and meet with Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, and open the Croatian-Norwegian business forum with President Josipovic.

The Norwegian king, whose visit to Croatia is his 40th visit to a foreign country in his 20 year-long rule, leaves his country for official visits twice a year at the most. During visits abroad, he usually exchanges high state decorations with his hosts, so President Josipovic was expected to be honoured with the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, and King Harald V was expected to receive from Josipovic the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star. Queen Sonja was expected to be awarded the Grand Order of Queen Jelena with Sash and Morning Star, and President Josipovic's wife, Tatjana, was expected to be honoured with the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.