ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan has said the government will make a final decision on US requests from a non-paper recently sent to Croatia at a special session next week.
ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan has said
the government will make a final decision on US requests from a non-
paper recently sent to Croatia at a special session next week. #L#
The session will most probably be held after the session of the U.N.
Security Council and President Stjepan Mesic's return from Paris,
Racan said after a meeting of the leaders of the ruling five-party
coalition on Sunday.
"Today we discussed once again different aspects of the Iraqi
crisis, i.e. those which concern Croatia. Those are certain
expectations and requests that Croatia - considering the
development of the situation - offer certain services to the United
States and its allies in possible operations," Racan said.
He added that the coalition leaders also discussed a possible
answer to concrete requests for services which Croatia is expected
to provide, considering that many countries in its neighbourhood
have responded to the US letter positively.
The coalition has taken a unanimous stand on the issue, Racan said,
but would not comment on it until, he said, some very important
facts were checked first. The government will decide about the
requests in the next few days, he said.
The prime minister also would not comment on the content of the non-
paper. "Those who are familiar with that form of message and its
character know that only those sending non-papers can comment on
their content," he said. Such documents usually enumerate
different possibilities, asking a country if it is willing to
cooperate and provide certain services. Non-papers with almost the
same form are sent to a number of countries, Racan said, adding he
believed this was so in the latest case as well.
Asked if the government would consult the parliament regarding the
decision, Racan said this depended on the decision itself. "We will
certainly do so, should the decision require it," he said.
Decisions to be adopted at the U.N. Security Council session and
President Mesic's return from Paris will not be of crucial
importance for the final decision, because "we know approximately
how the main countries involved in the Iraqi crisis, especially big
ones, will behave".
Croatia is interested in the crisis being solved peacefully and, if
necessary, with military action, however, within the U.N. Security
Council, he added.
"We want our decision to be adopted in a responsible manner. Those
who pass such decisions - government and parliament - will bear full
responsibility, if they make the decision," Racan said.
Foreign armies cannot enter Croatian territory without the
parliament's consent, he added.
Racan also informed his coalition partners about his visit to
Athens last Friday and the submission of an application for EU
membership. He said he was optimistic about the application being
accepted.
Present at today's meeting were Defence Minister Zeljka Antunovic,
the leaders of the Croatian Peasant Party, Croatian People's Party
and the Liberal Party, Zlatko Tomcic, Vesna Pusic and Ivo Banac, and
a Libra representative, Zrinjka Glovacki Bernardi.
(hina) rml