ANY NEW ASSOCIATION LIKE WEST BALKANS OUT OF QUESTION - G. GRANIC

ZAGREB, Oct 11 (Hina) - Both for Croatian and Yugoslav representatives, any new associations such as the so-called western Balkans are out of questions, Croatia's First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic said on Wednesday evening upon his talks with representatives of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS). Any model for our association, except for perhaps in the European Union one day, is out of question both for gentlemen from Yugoslavia and for us. We can let others deal with all that talk about western and other Balkans, Granic added. The Croatian official said he and guests from Serbia had conducted talks on all open issues in a good atmosphere. "After the Government and institutions in Serbia are constituted, we shall start resolving simpler, technical issues such as the succession (to the former Yugoslavia), the issue of Prevlaka which, I believe, we shall quickly settle, and some issues form transport and power transmission links, economic cooperation, and finally more painful issues such as the attitude of the new authorities in Yugoslavia and Serbia towards the war in Croatia and Bosnia- Herzegovina," Granic told reporters adding that Zagreb wished success in democratisation processes in Serbia. Zarko Korac, the president of the Yugoslav Social Democrat Union, and a leader of the New Democracy, Svetozar Krstic, being representatives of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS), paid a visit to the Croatian capital, at the invitation of the Serb National Council (SNV). On this occasion, Korac and Krstic were received by Granic and Foreign Minister Tonino Picula today, and they are expected to hold a news conference tomorrow. Asked about his stance on the succession to the ex-Yugoslavia, Korac reiterated the statement of the newly-elected Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica who said that "insistence on the continuity (of Yugoslavia) was unnecessary and wrong." In this light, this issue is more technical and legal than political one, Korac said adding that the new authorities in his country would like to settle the matter in a short period. Korac told reporters that the Zagreb talks had also revolved around the topic of the return of Serb refugees in Croatia. Reporters wanted to know about the stance of the victors at the latest Yugoslav elections on the cooperation with the Hague-based international tribunal (ICTY). "DOS is a coalition of 18 different parties and only after the constitution of the authorities we can agree on the joint stance on certain issues. I think that the opinion which prevails in Serbia is that Milosevic has committed serious criminal acts and that he should answer for that. What is a contentious issue is his extradition to The Hague, namely a majority is in favour of the cooperation with the Tribunal. One should take into consideration the fact that bodies of authority have not yet been set up in Serbia and that actually the whereabouts of Milosevic is unknown and we do not know who protects him. The situation is compounded by the fact that besides Milosevic, several top officials such as the Serbian President, former Defence Minister of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) or Serbian Interior Minister are also indicted," Korac explained. Korac emphasised that he was giving his personal opinion when he said that Milosevic "is directly responsible for very grave crimes committed in the area of the former Yugoslavia and that he should answer for it." One of paradoxes of Milosevic's political life is that he signed the Dayton peace accords which contain an annex that clearly stipulates the obligation for the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, Korac added. (hina) ms