WASHINGTON, Aug 10 (Hina) - At the end of their visit to the United States, which lasted several days, Croatian President Stipe Mesic and Prime Minister Ivica Racan held a press conference at the National Press Centre in Washington on
Thursday. The interest of the media in the news conference was so big that organisers had to secure a bigger conference room than the one initially planned for the event. Mesic and Racan answered questions regarding their talks with US President Bill Clinton and other officials, representatives of international financial institutions and Jewish organisations, as well as regarding Croatia's stand on the situation in the region, particularly in Yugoslavia. Croatia wants and needs cooperation with US business people and financial institutions and Americans are welcome as tourists as well, Mesic said. For this to happen, Racan said, one must show that Croatia is a country where it is
WASHINGTON, Aug 10 (Hina) - At the end of their visit to the United
States, which lasted several days, Croatian President Stipe Mesic
and Prime Minister Ivica Racan held a press conference at the
National Press Centre in Washington on Thursday.
The interest of the media in the news conference was so big that
organisers had to secure a bigger conference room than the one
initially planned for the event.
Mesic and Racan answered questions regarding their talks with US
President Bill Clinton and other officials, representatives of
international financial institutions and Jewish organisations, as
well as regarding Croatia's stand on the situation in the region,
particularly in Yugoslavia.
Croatia wants and needs cooperation with US business people and
financial institutions and Americans are welcome as tourists as
well, Mesic said. For this to happen, Racan said, one must show that
Croatia is a country where it is safe and profitable to invest.
He announced the continuation of privatisation in the power
production sector, shipbuilding industry, tourism and railway.
As regards the political segment, the Washington talks focused
on the further democratisation of Croatia, its establishing links
with the world, and accelerating its admission to NATO.
On that path, the problem of equipment and weaponry must be resolved
as well. The first step which has been agreed on and which is already
being implemented is the training of Croatian military pilots in
the United States, which should continue with the purchase of
planes and other equipment and weaponry.
Important for Croatia is the resolution of the problem of
succession to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the
status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the United Nations,
which Racan and Mesic discussed with US Ambassador at the U.N.
Richard Holbrooke.
Mesic and Racan discussed with US President Clinton three
programmes for which the United States is willing to provide some
US$30 million. The programmes refer to the stimulation and revival
of the economy, reconstruction and construction of houses for
refugees, and the military.
Speaking about the situation in the region, Mesic said Slobodan
Milosevic had managed to remain in power thanks to causing and
controlling four wars. His goal now is to cause crisis in Montenegro
because after that there only remains the crisis in Serbia, "which
he won't be able to control and which will mark the end of his
dictatorship," Mesic said. He called on the Serbian Opposition to
"stop competing with Milosevic in nationalism" and turn toward
Europe.
Racan added toppling Milosevic should not be the only common thing
linking the Serbian Opposition. "They have to determine what they
plan to do after that, what they intend to do with Montenegro and
Kosovo, and what with their neighbours," Racan said.
The two officials also spoke about the implementation of the Dayton
agreement and the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. They said that
as opposition politicians they had supported Bosnia's integrity,
democratic development and equality of the three constituent
peoples. They hoped the upcoming parliamentary elections in the
country would bring positive changes.
(hina) rml