CRO POLITICIAN CONCERNED ABOUT UNOFFICIAL DOCUMENT BY U.N. ENVOY

CRO POLITICIAN CONCERNED ABOUT UNOFFICIAL DOCUMENT BY U.N. ENVOY ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - The former Croatian foreign minister of many years and current member of parliament, Mate Granic, on Friday called on the Government and President to voice opinions on an unofficial document drafted by a special UN envoy for the Balkans, Carl Bildt. The document suggests an institutional connecting of countries of the former Yugoslavia (with the exception of Slovenia) and Albania, and their collective integration into the European Union. #L# The paper has been circling the corridors of the UN Security Council and European Union, Granic said, stressing his party, the Democratic Centre, categorically dismissed the document. The paper envisages an institutional political frame for adhering countries created after the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, excluding Slovenia, and adding Albania. Such tendencies, Granic asserted, would hinder Croatia's expedited and individual path towards the EU. "This document stipulates connecting countries in the region and joint accession into the EU. The only positive point in the document is the opinion that the issue of succession should be resolved," Granic told a news conference. An important moment for applying this document is the change of regime in Belgrade and the establishment of democracy in Yugoslavia, with Serbia deemed a key factor in the region. Granic warned exactly this was happening, adding the attention of the international public was completely concentrated on the turbulent events in Serbia. The DC supports democratic changes in Serbia, but warns that the newly-elected president, Vojislav Kostunica, has energetically refused to cooperate with the Hague-based war crimes tribunal, labelling it an instrument of American politics, Granic stressed. He recalled that a UN special envoy for human rights in the region of former Yugoslavia, Jiri Dienstbier, had this week said Milosevic should receive immunity (from the international war crimes tribunal indictment and extradition) in exchange for stepping down from power. Serbia has offered no opinion on the wars led by Milosevic, and the attitude towards the Croat national minority in Yugoslavia is also questionable, Granic asserted. In addition, the international community has not taken a stance on how sanctions imposed on Yugoslavia would be lifted. Although Granic expressed doubt that Bildt's document would receive a passing mark, he deems Bildt, known for "drafting suggestions", should be taken more seriously, because he had drafted the paper as a special envoy for the Balkans. Bildt's document sees Yugoslavia as a three-member, loose confederation in which Kosovo would be a republic. The fundamental intent of the document is said to be political stability in the region and final integration into the European Union, and thus envisages a supra-institutional tie of countries in the region with the EU for several years. All international assistance to countries in the region would flow via this institutional frame, and a customs union would be created among the states. The International Monetary Fund, Granic warned, also speaks about assistance "to the region" in their latest documents. Democratic Centre party president got hold of Bildt's document from, as he put it, a friendly European country, and claims it was also in possession of the Croatian Government and diplomacy. "We do not accept any conspiracy theory, nor do we think anybody can make us enter a new Yugoslavia, or Balkania, but Bildt's motion could influence the policy of the European Union and chief international factors towards Croatia," Granic stressed. He asserted Bildt was a probable participant of the upcoming summit in Zagreb, at which, besides EU member-countries, those in the process of joining this organisation would participate. Granic said he received no confirmation from the Government whether succession would be one of the subjects discussed at the summit. (hina) lml jn