ZAGREB, Dec 30 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said, in his interview he gave to dailies and the Croatian News Agency Hina ahead of the New Year, that Croatia had been pulled from the international isolation in 2002 and that
the new image of the country had not sufficiently been used for the appearance on new foreign markets.
ZAGREB, Dec 30 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said, in
his interview he gave to dailies and the Croatian News Agency Hina
ahead of the New Year, that Croatia had been pulled from the
international isolation in 2002 and that the new image of the
country had not sufficiently been used for the appearance on new
foreign markets. #L#
"The trend of increasing unemployment has been stopped, new jobs
are being created, the economic growth is rising, and these are good
indicators, but Croatia has not yet sufficiently been oriented
towards production and export, which reflects on everything,"
Mesic said in the interview which will be published in double issues
of the national dailies for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mesic believes that in 2003 the Croatian diplomacy should be more
active promoting the national economy. So far, Croatia has not used
enough its new image in this field, he added.
Commenting on the next parliamentary elections, the head of state
said the incumbent ruling coalition would try to hold them as later
as possible so as to pick up fruits of what has been done in the
housing and road construction and in the tourist season.
Asked to comment on results of various opinion polls about
political parties' rating, which show that the strongest
opposition party Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is gaining in
popularity, the Croatian president said the results show the fall
in popularity of other parties while "the HDZ's rating is
constant".
He said the HDZ was undergoing a catharsis and should be relieved of
any ideological burden so that it could become suitable for forming
coalitions and acceptable for the international community.
It is important whether the HDZ will accept that Croatia must honour
the international obligations it has assumed such as cooperation
with the UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) or the creation of favourable
conditions for the return of refugees and the restitution of their
property, Mesic said.
Asked about a possibility that after the next elections a right
coalition come in power, he said that every people has such
authorities as it deserves and that the responsibility lies with
the electorate. Mesic added that he would cooperate with everybody
elected by the Croatian people.
Commenting on the indictment issued by the ICTY against Croatian
general Janko Bobetko, he assessed that the events surrounding the
Bobetko case and the government's conduct in the matter did not
cause long-standing damage to Croatia's prospects of joining the
European Union but they did to some extent tarnish the country's
image.
The government acted in accordance to the ICTY's statute, and the
entire case should not be too much linked to the country's bids to
enter the Union, Mesic said adding that Zagreb should step up the
implementation of necessary measures so that Croatia could use
possibilities for joining the Union in 2007.
Mesic believes that the case of general Ante Gotovina, an ICTY
indictee who is on the run, also aggravates Croatia's position.
The president said Gen. Gotovina was the victim of incorrect
information and assessments, and added that it would be better for
him to respond to the summons of the ICTY and answer questions the
tribunal might ask, just like another indicted Croatian general,
Rahim Ademi, did.
Asked about information that Lieutenant General Josip Lucic will
become the army's chief-of-staff, Mesic said this was a good
solution and thanks to his experience Lucic would much contribute
to the re-organisation of the Croatian armed forces.
He added that the outgoing chief-of-staff General Petar Stipetic
was offered to become the military advisor in the President's
Office, and that Stipetic in principle accepted it. The current
military advisor in Mesic's office, Gen. Imre Agotic, will hold new
office but the president did not say which office.
Commenting on the tragedy when a Muslim killed three Croat
returnees in the Kostajnica village near Konjic, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, on Christmas Eve, the Croatian president said the law-
based country must react promptly and efficiently and the
responsible for the tragedy must be punished. It is necessary that
the authorities ensure better safety and security for returnees,
although it is not an easy job, Mesic said.
Commenting on the behaviour of Josko Joras, who again raised a
Slovene flag on his house in Mlini (Istria) on the Croatian
territory, Mesic said Joras probably believed that he could change
border-lines. It is ridiculous that one man can think that he can
annex his house to Slovenia, Mesic said adding that Joras was using
the situation in which not the entire border-line between Croatia
and Slovenia had been yet determined. The Croatian president said
the Joras case should be let to a magistrate's court.
Commenting on his alleged initiative to mediate between North and
South Korea, Mesic said this was a typical imputation but he did not
say who imputed it to him. He only added that he had talked with the
South Korean ambassador about his possible visit to Seoul.
He confirmed that he had received an invitation for his visit to
Libya.
Mesic expressed hope that in 2003 Croatians would have the better
standard of living and that divisions which appeared among the
Croatian people in the wake of the Second World War would cease in
the coming year.
(hina) ms