RADOS: CROATIA GIVEN BRITAIN'S SUPPORT FOR PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE

ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - Croatia has been given Great Britain's full support in joining NATO's Partnership for Peace programme as soon as possible, Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados said on Friday. "We have been given full support for Croatia's joining Partnership for Peace as soon as possible", the minister told reporters at Zagreb's Pleso airport upon returning from a three-day visit to Great Britain. Croatia insists on joining the NATO programme as soon as possible in the belief that "the new authorities have already met most expectations." On his first official visit as Croatia's defence minister, Rados held talks with British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, visited the British parliament's defence committee, and met the British army chief-of-staff. Rados' talks in Great Britain tackled concrete forms of co- operation, such as soldier education, mine-clearing, and army training for peace operations. "We discussed co-operation in those fields which suit Great Britain's Defence Ministry, as well as Croatia's," said the minister. "We offered co-operation in the fields of education and mine- clearing," he said, adding Croatia expected Great Britain's assistance in training Croatian forces for peace operations. "This is a new task before the Croatian Army," Rados said, adding Great Britain's experience could considerably help Croatia. (hina) ha