INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES ON POPE'S VISIT TO CROATIA

ZAGREB, June 5 (Hina) - Pope John Paul II has chosen Croatia as the destination of his 100th pastoral visit. The pope is arriving to Croatia on Thursday for the third time in his pontificate, international agencies write announcing his visit. #L# Thanks to the Holy Father's general support to ex-Communist countries in their desire to join the EU, Croatia sees in Pope John Paul II's visit its chances of stepping up access to the EU, dpa writes in an item dedicated to the Croatian government's aspirations for the EU. According to political analysts, the government believes that if a moral figure such as the pope expresses support while in Croatia, this country will have better chances for its aspirations to enter the EU, dpa writes. Croats could again hear a call for ethnic tolerance, coexistence and the respect of all ethnic groups, which they heard during the two past visits of the pope to Croatia, Reuters writes. The pope's ecumenical message was not pleasant to every Croatian ear, Reuters writes, quoting Vice-Premier Goran Granic and an assessment by Rijeka's Novi list daily that the pope is possibly visiting Croatia to offer it a second chance to follow his words. Reuters used data from the recent issue of the Globus weekly, according to which the stand of most Croatians on abortion and euthanasia, as well as placing national feelings and race before religion, would disappoint the Vatican. France presse writes that the expenses of the pope's stay will exceed EUR30 million, which was how much was spend during his last visit to Croatia in 1998. America's AP warns about strong national feelings of the Roman Catholic bastion of the Balkans, as it called Croatia, which, it writes, is at a critical turning point, which is why the Vatican wants to help it not to get lost today when national feelings are swelling and leaders fighting for leaving the ugly past behind them and prepare the state for EU membership. (hina) lml sb