NGOS DISCUSS THEIR ROLE IN PERIOD OF NEW TRANSITION

POREC, March 7 (Hina) - A non-governmental organisation called "GONG" organised a round table on the role of NGOs in the era of new transition. The round table, held on Tuesday in the Istrian repsort of Porec, focused on the cooperation between NGOs and state institutions, local authorities and international organisations. GONG Executive Director, Suzana Jasic, said NGOs were now facing new challanges and new impetus should be given to good communication between them and local administrations. An official from the Croatian Government's Office for associations, Cvjetana Plavsa-Matic, assessed that new transitions whould be observed through the prism of active partnership of local authorities and state from one hand, and non- governmental organisations and the market, from the other hand. Mladen Momcinovic, a representative of the Porec-based centre for civic initiatives, said NGOs must become recognisible in local administrations. A representative of the Government's office for cooperation with the OSCE, Tomislav Vidosevic, said the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) would leave Croatia by the end of this year, and voiced wish that Croatia "becomes a partner instead of being an object for observation." This round table was an introductory part of a five-day seminar for representatives of 13 GONG regional branches in the country. (hina) ms