ZUZUL SAYS CROATIA COOPERATING WITH OSCE

ZAGREB, March 9 (Hina) - Croatia is cooperating with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in resolving priority issues, including the return of refugees and relations with minorities, Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul said in Zagreb on Tuesday after meeting OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis.#L# "I underlined the Croatian government's determination to remove the issue of refugee returns and relations with minorities from the agenda as soon as possible," Zuzul told a press conference. He said that the issue of the return of refugees and property concerned all ethnic groups, and that solutions to the problems of one ethnic group should not create problems for other groups. As part of its mission in Croatia, the OSCE wishes to play a more active role in addressing specific problems such as the return of refugees, property and war crimes trials, Kubis said. Kubis said his organisation had the necessary experience and would try to help Croatia in resolving those problems. International institutions should not just encourage the Croatian government to resolve the problems, but should also assist in their resolution, he added. Kubis said that this topic would also be on the agenda of other talks he would have during his visit. Later today, he was scheduled to visit the OSCE mission office in Korenica and villages inland from the coastal city of Zadar where he would be able to see how the return of refugees was proceeding. Kubis was also scheduled to meet representatives of the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee and the Croatian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and have a working dinner with Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and President Stjepan Mesic. (Hina) vm