ZAGREB, July 13 (Hina) - Croatia's President Stjepan Mesic on Thursday held a news briefing to give a summary of what has been done in five months since he took office and to comment on the latest political and economic developments
in Croatia and its surroundings.
ZAGREB, July 13 (Hina) - Croatia's President Stjepan Mesic on
Thursday held a news briefing to give a summary of what has been done
in five months since he took office and to comment on the latest
political and economic developments in Croatia and its
surroundings.#L#
Concerning the results of his work since he was inaugurated, Mesic
said he had held many meetings with other statesmen and paid
official visits to other countries, during which he had initiated
several projects such as a plan for the construction of an Adriatic-
Ionian motorway, proposals to render the Danube navigable again,
and the completion of the building of the Breznicki Hum-Gorican
motorway.
At President Mesic's proposal, working groups have been set up for
elaborating amendments to the Constitution, for drafting a
strategy for agricultural development, for envisaging the progress
in the areas of the special state concern and for the development of
information technology in the country.
Croatia has changed its attitude towards the European Union and the
world as well as towards its neighbours, particularly Bosnia-
Herzegovina, and this change has already yielded positive results,
the President assessed adding this was also reflected at his recent
meetings with Presidents of Slovenia, the Czech Republic and
Montenegro.
Croatia is on the right track towards an exit from isolation, the
country is orientated towards the EU and has become the driving
force in this region, President Mesic told reporters.
Croatia is in a depression and this should clearly be stated. The
country needs an anti-depression programme, Mesic said describing
the political situation in the country as relatively good and the
economic circumstance as relatively bad. It is necessary to
activate Croatian resources and attract foreign investments which
are pre-condition for the progress, the Croatian head of state said
and expressed his confidence that an increasing number of foreign
investments would arrive in Croatia as the country was more and more
safe for foreign investors.
Asked whether Croatian citizens lived worse than before, President
Mesic admitted that they did. He, however, explained that much
could not be done in a short period, but as much as possible was
done.
Asked to comment on the developments caused by the conflict between
the two strongest ruling parties - SDP (Social Democratic Party)
and HSLS (Croatian Social Liberal Party) - about the staff and
persons who may take office in the Government, President Mesic said
the Government had been constituted in compliance with results
political parties achieved at the parliamentary election. The
Government is a team that has been given support for its programme
and it should now implement that programme. The Government is no
confederation of parties or political party leaders and the boss of
ministers is Prime Minister rather than a party's President, Mesic
said in that context.
Mesic reiterated his support to PM Ivica Racan, his Government and
the course it had taken.
In relation to the latest developments about Croatia's failure to
sign a contract with a U.S. company, Enron, within a deadline, on
the construction of a thermal power plant in Croatia, Mesic
stressed that politics should be excluded in attempts to make such
arrangements and the chief criterion should be economic. The
problem with the conclusion of previous arrangements with that
company is that former Croatian officials expected from Enron to do
what it could not, for instance, to make it possible for the then
Croatian President Tudjman to be received by U.S. President Bill
Clinton, or ensure that Croatian officers may eschew their
appearance before the Hague-based International War Criminal
Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and other things. This should
have cost Croatia millions and millions of dollars, the incumbent
Croatian President asserted, expressing his confidence that the
dispute with Enron would not negatively affect his visit to the
United States.
Asked about French President Chirac's initiative for convening a
summit between EU member-states and western Balkan countries,
Mesic responded the event was being organised by the European Union
and Zagreb would motion a broader list of country participants. In
this way Croatia would like to contribute to better understanding
and bids to solve problems in its surroundings, Mesic said and
energetically refused any possibility of re-creation of a
Yugoslavia.
Commenting on the latest events in Montenegro and Serbia (which
make up formally the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, or FRY), Mesic
said Montenegro had opted for a path towards democratisation while
the incumbent Yugoslav President was always generating conflict
and therefore he should be removed from the political scenes. The
international community reacted belatedly to Milosevic's policy of
in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and even in Kosovo, but it
must not be late to respond to his war plans in Montenegro, Mesic
said.
Asked about a probe into the sale of "Vecernji List" daily, Mesic
answered the Interior Ministry was still doing investigative work
in this case.
(hina) mm ms