BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3896 HINA ZAGREB, 6 FEBRUARY 2001

HR-POLITICS-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3896 HINA ZAGREB, 6 FEBRUARY 2001 MESIC: CROATIA ENJOYS GOOD INTERNATIONAL REPUTATIONZAGREB, Feb 6 (Hina) - After a year in office Croatian President Stjepan Mesic is satisfied with Croatia's new international "image", but warns a large number of economic and social issues have not yet been solved, and shares dissatisfaction with Croatian citizens regarding those problems. Asked which events marked his first year in office, Mesic said some of his actions would remain current for a long period. In this light, he recalled the decision on the retirement of senior Croatian Armed Forces officers who sent an open letter to the public (requesting the protection of the dignity of the Croatian Homeland Defence War), and an agreement with French President Jacques Chirac on a EU summit which took place in Zagreb last November. "This summit has shown that Croatia is a country of opportunity which will be individually admitted into European in