ZAGREB, March 31 (Hina) - The Croatian Foreign Ministry and the President of the Republic have a good cooperation and no diplomat is appointed without consultations with President Stjepan Mesic, Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul said on
Wednesday when asked to comment on media reports about controversial diplomatic appointments.
ZAGREB, March 31 (Hina) - The Croatian Foreign Ministry and the
President of the Republic have a good cooperation and no diplomat is
appointed without consultations with President Stjepan Mesic, Foreign
Minister Miomir Zuzul said on Wednesday when asked to comment on media
reports about controversial diplomatic appointments.#L#
"I cannot comment on appointments or nominations, that is not part of
the regular procedure, and that is not discussed at this stage," Zuzul
told reporters after meeting his Estonian counterpart Kristiina
Ojuland.
Croatian dailies recently reported that the opposition, as well as
part of the ruling party, wanted Mesic not to approve the latest
diplomatic appointments. The replacement of consul Vesna Terzic in
Milan, consul Slobodan Beros in New York, and ambassador Tatjana
Kralj-Draganic in Athens is considered "problematic". These diplomats
took up office shortly before last November's change of government.
The controversial nominations are those of Neven Jurica as ambassador
to Washington, Tonci Stanicic as ambassador to Belgrade, and Neven
Madey as ambassador to Athens. According to the media, Vesna Terzic
would be replaced by Andro Knego and Beros by Petar Ljubicic.
Speaking about consular appointments, Zuzul said that they could not
be called replacements or purges but were part of regular procedures
in the consular service and that everything had been agreed with
President Mesic and the persons concerned.
Several days ago, Jutarnji List daily quoted Mesic, when he was
speaking about the first 100 days of the government's term, as saying
that Minister Zuzul and Health Minister Andrija Hebrang were officials
"the prime minister should think about if their mistakes continue".
"The President has the right to his opinion, everybody has their own
constitutional responsibilities. I have the impression that our
cooperation is good and one of the examples of good cooperation is the
fact that all appointments are agreed with the President and this
ministry has not made any nominations without consulting the President
of the Republic," Zuzul said.
(Hina) rml sb