LAWRENCE ROSSIN NOMINATED FOR POST OF NEW US AMBASSADOR TO CROATIA

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Hina) - Croatia has a central role in the process of healing wounds caused by the conflict in south-east Europe, as well as in the admission of those countries to the Euro- Atlantic community, said Lawrence Rossin, who has been nominated by US President Bill Clinton for the post of new US Ambassador to Croatia. Rossin's appointment is now being discussed and should be approved by the Senate committee for relations with foreign countries. We are facing numerous opportunities as well as challenges, Rossin said. He emphasised the progress made in implementing the key segments of the Dayton agreement, especially regarding Croatia's cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Admission to Partnership for Peace was for Croatia a historic step on its path toward its accelerated integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, Rossin said. According to him, the greatest challenge Croatia was currently facing was economic reforms and a speedy refugee return. US assistance is as important as the involvement of the US private sector, Rossin said, adding one of his important tasks would be to find opportunities for the business engagement of new US companies and protect the interests of those which were already operating in Croatia. Rossin is a career diplomat, and among other duties, he was a deputy to the US Ambassador to Spain, worked for the Council of National Security, was a regional director for South-East Europe at the State Department, and headed an USA office in Pristina. According to unofficial sources, the incumbent US Ambassador to Croatia, William Dale Montgomery, should continue his diplomatic career in Budapest, where his special task will be the implementation of the US policy toward Serbia. Last week, Montgomery visited Washington for brief consultations regarding this matter. (hina) jn rml