ZAGREB, Feb 19 (Hina) - Croatia advocates a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis, through the U.N., and is confident that all means at disposal have not yet been used, Defence Minister Zeljka Antunovic said on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Feb 19 (Hina) - Croatia advocates a peaceful solution to the
Iraqi crisis, through the U.N., and is confident that all means at
disposal have not yet been used, Defence Minister Zeljka Antunovic
said on Wednesday. #L#
Addressing a panel debate on the Iraqi crisis and Croatia, she said
claims about divisions in Croatia on those in favour of war and
those in favour of peace in Iraq were "absolutely incorrect and
baseless".
Croatia has experienced the horrors of war and its destruction and
"the uniform position of all political factors in Croatia" is that
the Iraqi crisis should be resolved "without a war," said
Antunovic.
"Croatia persists in the conviction that not all means to
peacefully resolve the Iraqi crisis have been used yet."
The minister added Croatia supported the extension of the U.N. arms
inspectors' mission in Iraq.
As for the Vilnius Group countries' statement of support to the U.S.
policy on Iraq, Antunovic said it represented a form of additional
pressure on Iraq to meet Security Council demands to cooperate with
U.N. inspectors and to destroy weapons of mass destruction. This
was also the main reason behind Croatia's signature on the
statement, she said.
Antunovic added that all misunderstandings regarding the signature
would be cleared though diplomatic channels.
On the government's behalf she appealed on the United States, the
European Union and the other nations of the anti-terror coalition
to be agreed and united in future activities regarding the Iraqi
crisis, within the U.N. Security Council.
Antunovic also called on Iraq to fully implement U.N. resolution
1441, warning that the outcome of the crisis depended solely on
Iraq's conduct.
Asked how the government planned to face the economic fallout from a
possible war in Iraq, Antunovic said the government would decree on
Thursday the creation of petroleum reserves far higher than the
current ones. In case of war, similar decisions will be adopted in
other areas, she said.
The panel debate at the Europe House in Zagreb was organised by
the Europe Youth Club and the Zagreb Faculty of Political Sciences'
Students Association.
(hina) ha