TALKS ON JAKOVCIC'S SUCCESSOR AFTER TALKS ON GOVT RESHUFFLE - RACAN

ZAGREB, June 4 (Hina) - The president of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Monday the future of the Ministry of European Integration and a possible successor to the incumbent minister Ivan Jakovcic, who will resign by the start of next week, will be discussed during talks on a possible government reshuffle. Commenting on speculations that Croatia's chief negotiator with the EU, Neven Mimica, could be appointed the new European Integration Minister, Racan said after today's meeting of the now five-party ruling coalition this, too, was an option. If the Ministry of European Integration stays as it is now, Mimica will certainly be one of the candidates for that position because the government is satisfied with his work, Racan said. The president of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Ivan Jakovcic, arrived for today's meeting, but an hour later walked out saying his party was going over to the Opposition. IDS' leaving the ruling coalition was proposed by the party presidency at a meeting in Pazin last Saturday. The party council is to make a final decision on the proposal this week. "At the beginning of the meeting we had an open and normal conversation during which we expressed regret over IDS' decision to leave the coalition," Racan said adding the coalition parties and the IDS have the responsibility "to continue cooperating." The five-member coalition and the IDS must prove that claims that IDS' departure from the coalition would lead to tensions between Zagreb and Istria are unfounded, Racan said stressing the ruling coalition respected Istria and its importance. The heads of the five parties also discussed the establishment of local authorities, but made no decisions, Racan reported. He added that economic issues had been discussed as well, at his proposal. Asked about his meeting with Democratic Centre (DC) president Mate Granic this morning, Racan said they had discussed the establishment of local authorities, but no concrete decisions had been made. The prime minister would not answer to the question if it was possible for the DC to join the ruling coalition but said the SDP was interested in cooperation with that party also in those areas where cooperation was not essential for the establishment of local authorities. We don't think the coalition parties should cooperate exclusively with each other, he said. Asked about the course of talks on the establishment of local authorities in Split and Rijeka, Racan said that he still did not have information on the Split talks and that talks in Rijeka were underway. (hina) rml