CROATIAN TRUE REVIVAL PARTY PRESENTS ITS CANDIDATES IN RIJEKA

RIJEKA, Oct 31 (Hina) - The Croatian True Revival party (HIP) in Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties on Friday introduced its seven candidates on a coalition list with the Croatian Bloc (HB) for constituency no. 8, which consists of Istria County and the western part of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. #L# The leader of the Istria County HIP branch, Ninoslav Mogorovic, said the party was not interested in Croatia being admitted into the EU in 2007 as membership criteria would be impossible to meet by that time. Croatia is not ready to join European countries with a significantly higher percentage of highly educated population, he said, adding that the situation in the agricultural sector was another obstacle to early admission to the EU. Mogorovic also opposed Croatia's admission to NATO, saying the country would not gain anything by joining the alliance as investments in the adjustment of military equipment to that in NATO member-countries would be so big that they would cause the "Argentinean syndrome". NATO membership would boost the construction of military bases and ranges, which would cause damage to tourism, he said. "There is also a danger of terrorist attacks by some groups from Bosnia and Kosovo," Mogorovic said, explaining that he was referring to "members of Al Q'aida and the Mujahedeen who married Bosnian women and stayed in Bosnia". (hina) rml sb