SARAJEVO DAILY: BILDT RESOLUTELY DENIES GRANIC'S ALLEGATIONS

SARAJEVO, Oct 11 (Hina) - The United Nations' special envoy for the Balkans, Carl Bildt, refuted as completely incorrect claims that he initiated the establishment of a union of western Balkan states. Bildt was quoted in the Sarajevo daily Dnevni avaz on Wednesday as saying that such claims were just another in a series of fabrications spread by the Croatian Democratic Union party. Sweden's former prime minister and the first international community high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina said the United Nations and he personally did not have any new initiatives or ideas as regarded the Balkans. He dismissed claims that he was the author of a draft project for the unification of five states born after the break-up of the former Yugoslav federation, plus Albania. All future activities of the international community in this region will be carried out through institutions and initiatives already existing, particularly the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe. Commenting on controversies surrounding the establishment of a western Balkan union, the president of Croatia's Democratic Centre party Mate Granic told Dnevni avaz the idea originated from Bildt. "Carl Bildt is the author of the 5+1-1 initiative that we have recently discussed so much. With mediation from a friendly country we have received a paper from the United States that he drafted and Secretary-General Kofi Annan informally distributed among the members of the Security Council, seeking their opinion," the daily quoted Granic. The 5+1-1 initiative stands for five countries born after the break-up of the former Yugoslavia - Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, plus Albania, but minus Slovenia. Granic, a former Croatian foreign minister, believes this is just another proof of the fundamental differences in approaching the notion of the region's accession to the European Union. "Bildt is advocating a regional access to the EU, whereas Croatia and BH are advocating opening individual negotiations. Serbia favours the regional access," said Granic who acquainted the public with the existence of the Bildt paper. (hina) ha jn