NEW YORK, July 3 (Hina) - Croatia and Montenegro hope United Nations Security Council member-states will support their efforts to achieve lasting stability along the Croatian-Montenegrin state border and on the peninsula of Prevlaka,
the two countries' foreign ministers said in a joint communique on Monday. The two countries also hope for assistance "in overcoming the other, remaining security problems in the broader area," Croatia's Tonino Picula and Montenegro's Branko Lukovac said in the communique delivered on Monday as an official document to the ambassadors of the Security Council's 15 member-states. The two ministers submitted the joint communique ahead of an upcoming report by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the United Nations Mission of Observers on Prevlaka (UNMOP) and a possible Security Council debate on the situation on the peninsula, Croatia's southern-most tip b
NEW YORK, July 3 (Hina) - Croatia and Montenegro hope United Nations
Security Council member-states will support their efforts to
achieve lasting stability along the Croatian-Montenegrin state
border and on the peninsula of Prevlaka, the two countries' foreign
ministers said in a joint communique on Monday.
The two countries also hope for assistance "in overcoming the
other, remaining security problems in the broader area," Croatia's
Tonino Picula and Montenegro's Branko Lukovac said in the
communique delivered on Monday as an official document to the
ambassadors of the Security Council's 15 member-states.
The two ministers submitted the joint communique ahead of an
upcoming report by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the United
Nations Mission of Observers on Prevlaka (UNMOP) and a possible
Security Council debate on the situation on the peninsula,
Croatia's southern-most tip bordering with the Yugoslav Republic
of Montenegro.
The communique states that Croatian President Stipe Mesic and
Montenegrin colleague Milo Djukanovic at their June 24 meeting in
Cavtat, Croatia, expressed the desire to continue to cooperate in
view of achieving lasting peace and good-neighbourly relations.
Croatia and Montenegro, the communique says, "continue to support
the full demilitarisation on both sides of the border in the area of
Prevlaka and believe that it has contributed and will further
contribute to reducing tensions and stabilising the entire area."
The joint assessment is that the opening of border crossings at
Debeli Brijeg and Konfin has contributed to establishing mutual
trust and given impetus to economic activities in the local border
area.
The two foreign ministers believe demining and unhindered civilian
access throughout the entire Prevlaka area, as well as the use of
natural resources, will strengthen stability and trust and
"constitute another important step towards full normalisation of
relations."
Croatia and Montenegro, Picula and Lukovac say, believe it will be
possible very soon to significantly reduce the number of UNMOP
observers, in line "the willingness (of the two countries) to take
upon themselves the responsibility for the security of the area."
(hina) ha