ITALIAN AMBASSADOR: HSP IN GOVT. TO AFFECT CROATIA'S BIDS TO JOIN EU

ZAGREB, Nov 30 (Hina) - Italy's Ambassador to Croatia, Alessandro Grafini, said in an interview with a daily that the Croatian Party of Rights' (HSP) joining the new government, led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), would undermine the country's bids to enter the European Union. #L# This is the unanimous view of about twenty diplomats from EU countries, who convened in the Italian embassy in Zagreb on 27 November to discuss the results of the recent parliamentary elections in Croatia, the Jutarnji List daily said in its issue of Sunday. The EU diplomats criticised the HSP about three items, cited in the election programmes of this right party. This refers to its stand on the EU, property and treatment of ethnic minorities. The foreign ambassadors disagree with the HSP's position that Croatia should enter the EU when it would be in the national interest of the country. The daily quoted Grafini as saying that EU members make no difference between interests of an individual country and the Union's interests. Furthermore it is well known that the entry into the EU has helped economic development of countries such as Ireland and Greece, Ambassador Grafini said. It is unacceptable for the ambassadors to see the HSP advocating that only Croatian nationals can have ownership rights to real estate in Croatia, as this is not in compliance with the EU rules. The third contentious issue is the HSP programme's provisions envisaging cultural autonomies for ethnic minorities, given that they have already been given some political rights. The foreign diplomats believe that the concept of cultural autonomy would be a step backward. "The three items from the current political platform of the HSP are the reason for us to believe that its (HSP) entrance in the government or any kind of its decisive role in the parliament during the rule of the new coalition government would endanger Croatia's path towards the EU," Grafini said. The Italian Ambassador, whose country is currently chairing the Union, said the EU did not want to interfere in Croatia's home affairs, and described this as a message to the Croatian public on the EU's position on the developments in the country after the parliamentary ballot. Grafini went on to say that he had heard about reports that the HSP was preparing a special political statement which it would forward to the EU ambassadors informing them on the change of the party's views on the contentious issues. The ambassadors, however, have not yet received such statement, the daily said. (hina) ms