EXTENDED - COE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY DISCONTINUES MONITORING IN CROATIA

STRASBOURG, Sept 26 (Hina) - The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday discontinued permanent monitoring over Croatia, saying Croatia had fulfilled most of the commitments it assumed upon joining the Council in November 1996. Hoping Croatia would remain on the path of democratisation, the Parliamentary Assembly congratulated Croatia's authorities on having fulfilled the commitments, and the Croatian people on their orientation toward democracy. The Assembly believes Croatia has fulfilled its commitments and the majority of the conditions it assumed, and that the ones it has not are in realisation, read a resolution which the Assembly unanimously endorsed after discussing discontinuing monitoring over Croatia. The Assembly considers the current monitoring procedure closed, read the resolution. The rapporteurs for Croatia, Bulgaria's Marija Stojanova and Poland's Jerzy Jaskiernia, said Croatia had made considerable progress and fulfilled the key conditions, and that the international community had to provide financial assistance so that Croatia might go through with what it had begun, especially in refugee returns and reconstruction in war-ravaged areas. Jaskiernia said the list of the conditions which had been met was impressive. Members on the Parliamentary Assembly almost unanimously applauded Croatia's progress in all areas, adding unresolved remained the refugee return issue which they said was no longer a political but a financial issue. The resolution applauds Croatia's cooperation with UN's war crimes tribunal in The Hague, the transparent policy towards Bosnia- Herzegovina, and Croatia's cooperation with the international community. Also applauded are Croatia's initiative to revise a constitutional law in view of reducing the president of the republic's and strengthening parliament's powers, and changes in the electoral law and the law on local self-government. The resolution is hopeful Croatia will soon adopt a law on the state television and telecommunications. Hungary's member on the Parliamentary Assembly said during debate Croatia was an outstanding role model for other countries in the region, and that it had made great progress in democracy in a very short time. The Assembly urged Croatia to adopt in the near future a new integral constitutional law on minorities, pass additional amendments to the electoral law, and be more expeditious in enforcing court rulings. The Parliamentary Assembly suggested that the Council of Ministers carry out a post-monitoring dialogue on all issues in connection with fulfilling conditions or any other Croatian obligation to the Council of Europe. The Assembly further suggested that the Council of Ministers help Croatian authorities within an assistance and cooperation programme, especially in the judiciary, freedom of the media, protection of minorities' rights, and refugee returns. The Parliamentary Assembly called on Council of Europe member- states to increase financial assistance to Croatia as part of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe. The Assembly has the right to re-open monitoring in Croatia's case, as in that of any other Council of Europe member, in case of failure to comply with obligations. (hina) ha/it