POPE EXPECTED TO CLEARLY SAY WHAT HE WANTS FROM CROATIA - GRANIC

OSIJEK, June 7 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic said ahead of the pope's landing at the Osijek airport on Saturday morning he expected the Holy Father to give very clear messages as to what he expected of Croatia. #L# Pope John Paul II is likely to speak about the consequences of the recent war and the building of Croatia as a multiethnic, multireligious, and democratic country, Granic told reporters at Klisa airport. Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told journalists the Holy Father was not only the spokesman of peace and cooperation but that unlike his past visits to Croatia, the current, third one had an added dimension because the pope was also the promoter of Croatia's future in the European Union. Croatia expects the pope to stress this dimension today as well as in his future statements, and Croatia will try to justify his support through its policy, said Picula. Granic, who heads a government commission on relations with religious communities, was asked to comment on a recent statement by Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic, who said state-Church relations were formally fair but the implementation of some parts of Croatia-Holy See treaties was late. Granic said there were difficulties in the restitution of property to citizens and institutions and that more needed to be done in this field. He hoped the matter would be resolved as soon as possible to the benefit of both citizens and the Church, saying nobody in Croatia should be in a privileged position. Granic recalled Croatia had adopted a law on religious communities, had signed agreements with the Roman Catholic and the Serb Orthodox Church, and was among four European countries which had settled relations with the Islamic community. He said agreements with reformatory churches were being drawn up. (hina) ha