CROATIA SUPPORTS UN, EU STANCES ON MIDDLE EAST

ZAGREB, April 4 (Hina) - Croatia supports the United Nations and the European Union in their advocacy of a peaceful solution for the conflict in the Middle East and believes that it is vital to end the current tragic escalation of violence, the Croatian Foreign Ministry reported on Thursday. #L# "Israel and the Palestinian self-government need to get back to negotiations and completely take heed of the rights of all to a peaceful and secure life in their own state", the Foreign Ministry's press release says, adding that Croatia vehemently condemns all those who wish to destroy through terrorist actions and the killing of civilians, as well as those who use violence to occupy someone else's territory. Croatia calls on the United States, the EU and other international institutions to concentrate their efforts to stop any further conflicts and to return both sides to the negotiating table, says the press release. For Croatia, permanent peace in the Middle East means "a permanent guarantee of Israel's' independence in its own internationally recognised borders as well as the right of the Palestinian people to establish their own state, and a peaceful coexistence between Israel and its Arab neighbours in that sensitive area of the world". (hina) sp sb