INT. CONFERENCE ON INTEGRATION OF MINORITIES HELD IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, July 2 (Hina) - An international conference on integration of minorities in Southeast Europe and the Baltic was organised because it was necessary to compare these two regions that are facing similar challenges regarding minority issues, the head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Croatia, Peter Semneby, told a press conference Wednesday. #L# Semneby expressed hope the conference, held in Zagreb today, would contribute to the exchange of the experience between the two regions but also among the regions with similar problems. Former Swedish Prime Minister and High Representative in Bosnia Carl Buildt, who also attended the conference, spoke about the differences of the two regions and the role of the international community in them. Bildt said the leaders in this region were oriented more towards the past while the Baltic States had immediately turned to their goal -- integration with NATO and the European Union. The conference was jointly organised by the international relations institute, the OSCE and the Friedrich Ebert foundation. (hina) it sb